Modern Optics and Spectroscopy Seminar
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Towards Single-Cycle Optical Pulses
Franz Kaertner
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
MIT
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Optical pulses with durations of less than two optical cycles
show spectra wide enough to permit detection and stabilization
of the carrier-envelope phase. Phase and repetition rate stabilized
mode-locked lasers have a well characterized mode comb in the
frequency domain and a well defined electric field in the time
domain from pulse to pulse. The frequency domain properties
of these sources can be exploited to build improved frequency
standards and clocks. The time domain electric field, then controlled
on a sub-cycle time scale, can be used to study novel nonlinear
optical effects in solids and gases depending on the carrier-envelope
phase. An overview of the physics and technology of few-cycle
lasers and synthesis of the output of these sources towards
single-cycle laser pulses is presented. For example synchronization
of independent femtosecond lasers with a residual timing jitter
of less than a tenth of an optical cycle (0.3 fs) measured over
a bandwidth from 10mHz to 2.3MHz is demonstrated. Their use
in frequency metrology and phase sensitive nonlinear optics
is discussed. |
Tuesday March 04, 12:00-1:00pm; Grier Room (34-401)
Refreshments served following the seminar
Sponsored by the George R. Harrison Spectroscopy
Laboratory and
the School of
Science, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, and
the Rowland Institute
for Science.
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