TUNABLE FEMTOSECOND LASER-PULSE SOURCE INCLUDING A SUPER-CONTINUUM GENERATOR

摘要

A mode-locked fiber MOPA delivers pulses of laser-radiation. A super-continuum generator including a bulk spectral-broadening element and a negative group-delay dispersion (NGDD) device is arranged to receive a pulse from the MOPA and cause the pulse to make a predetermined number of sequential interactions with the broadening element and the NGDD device. After making the predetermined interactions, the pulse is delivered from the super-continuum generator with a very broad spectral-bandwidth and a very short duration.

主权项

1. Optical apparatus comprising:
a source of pulses of laser radiation, each pulse having a first pulse-duration and a first pulse-spectrum; and a spectral broadener including a bulk spectral-broadening element and a negative group-delay dispersion device, the spectral broadener being configured and arranged to receive a pulse from the source of laser pulses, cause the pulse to make a selected number of sequential interactions with the spectral-broadening element and the negative group-delay dispersion (NGDD) device, and deliver the pulse with a second pulse-duration and a second pulse-spectrum, the second pulse-duration being shorter than the first pulse-duration, and the second pulse-spectrum being broader than the first pulse-spectrum.