Spatial—temporal analysis of the self-mode-locked Ti: sapphire laser

Abstract
We employ our extended spatial–temporal matrices to analyze the Ti: sapphire self-mode-locked laser. Our results agree with previously reported experimental work and give us a deeper understanding of the way this laser functions. We found the pulse-shaping mechanism to be essentially solitonlike; the role of the aperture is to discriminate against cw operation. We also study the buildup of the pulse starting from a fluctuation.