Nonlinear Optics with Phase-Controlled Pulses in the Sub-Two-Cycle Regime

U. Morgner; R. Ell; G. Metzler; T. R. Schibli; F. X. Kärtner; J. G. Fujimoto; H. A. Haus; E. P. Ippen

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.5462

Nonlinear Optics with Phase-Controlled Pulses in the Sub-Two-Cycle Regime

U. Morgner, R. Ell, G. Metzler, T. R. Schibli, F. X. Kärtner, J. G. Fujimoto, H. A. Haus, and E. P. Ippen

Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 5462 – Published 11 June 2001

Abstract

Nonlinear optical effects due to the phase between carrier and envelope are observed with 5 fs pulses from a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. These sub-two-cycle pulses with octave spanning spectra are the shortest pulses ever generated directly from a laser oscillator. Detection of the carrier-envelope phase slip is made possible by simply focusing the short pulses directly from the oscillator into a BBO crystal. As a further example of nonlinear optics with such short pulses, the interference between second- and third-harmonic components is also demonstrated.

Received 6 September 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.5462

Authors & Affiliations

U. Morgner¹, R. Ell¹, G. Metzler¹, T. R. Schibli¹, F. X. Kärtner¹, J. G. Fujimoto², H. A. Haus², and E. P. Ippen²

¹High Frequency and Quantum Electronics Laboratory, University of Karlsruhe, Engesserstrasse 5, D-76128 Karlsruhe, Germany
²Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139