SUBPICOSECOND PULSE GENERATION USING THE OPTICAL KERR EFFECT

Abstract
A frequency modulation which is monotonic in time over a portion of an optical pulse can be utilized together with a dispersive delay line to obtain temporal compression of the pulse envelope. Short pulses (picosecond range) passed through an optical Kerr liquid receive a self‐phase‐modulation which exhibits a frequency sweep in the region of maximum intensity, the slope in time being proportional to the propagation distance. Frequency spreads of the order of 103 cm−1 are obtainable and hence significant compression ratios should be possible, giving rise to very short pulses in the range of 10−14 to 10−13 sec.

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