Third-Generation Femtosecond Technology

by Hanieh Fattahi (Author)
Nominated as an outstanding PhD thesis by the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Garching, Germany
Includes a comprehensive study of Yb:YAG thin-disk pumped optical parametric amplifiers
Provides a detailed design study of the mJ-level waveform synthesizer under development in the Laboratory for Extreme Photonics (Munich, Germany)

From the Back Cover
This thesis offers a thorough and informative study of high-power, high-energy optical parametric chirped pulse amplifications systems, the foundation of the next generation of femtosecond laser technology. Starting from the basics of the linear processes involved and the essential design considerations, the author clearly and systematically describes the various prerequisites of the nonlinear optical systems expected to drive attosecond physics in the coming decade. In this context, he gives an overview of methods for generating the broadband and carrier-envelope-phase stable seed pulses necessary for producing controlled electric-field waveforms in the final system; provides a guide to handling the high-power, high-energy pump lasers required to boost the pulse energy to the desired operating range; describes the design of the nonlinear optical system used to perform the amplification, including modes of operation for ultra-broadband infrared-visible pulses or narrowband (yet still ultrafast) pulses tunable over multiple octaves; and finally presents a prospective high-energy field synthesizer based upon these techniques. As such, this work is essential reading for all scientists interested in utilizing the newest generation of ultrafast systems.

Number of Illustrations and Tables
50 illus., 25 in colour

Topics
Laser Technology and Physics, Photonics
Quantum Optics, Quantum Electronics, Nonlinear Optics
Optical and Electronic Materials