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Tsunami - Beckman Institute Laser Resource Center

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I I I I I I I I ti 911 I1 I<br />

Pulse Width Measurement<br />

Table B-2: Positive Dispersion Values @ 800 nm<br />

Material<br />

Fused Silica<br />

BK-7<br />

Ti:sapphire<br />

SF-1 0<br />

D,(fs2/cm)<br />

300<br />

450<br />

580<br />

1590<br />

Table B-3: Negative Dispersion Values @ 800 nm<br />

System<br />

SF-1 0 Brewster Prism pair, double pass<br />

BK-7 Brewster Prism pair, double pass<br />

Grating pair, 400 lineslcm<br />

Q 30" incidence angle, double pass<br />

Grating pair, 1000 lineslcm<br />

Q 30" incidence angle, double pass<br />

D,(fs2/cm)<br />

-80.2<br />

-12.8<br />

-1 500<br />

-1 0,000<br />

Calculating Pulse Broadening<br />

For an initial setup based on your <strong>Tsunami</strong> and a Model 409 -08 autocorrelator,<br />

set the prisms approximately 30 cm apart at Brewster's angle to<br />

the beam with the high reflector a few cm from the second prism. With<br />

this spacing, the prism pair should start with excess negative GVD. By<br />

moving the prism tips into the beam, we can balance the GVD for minimum<br />

pulse width. To do this, place the first prism on a translation stage<br />

that moves the prism in the direction of the bisector of the apex. This way,<br />

more glass can be pushed into the beam path without displacing the beam<br />

or changing its angular direction. This allows the negative GVD of the<br />

prism system to balance the positive GVD created by all the glass. By<br />

moving the prism into the beam path and monitoring the output from a<br />

Model 409 -08, the pulse should get narrower as the dispersion is<br />

balanced. If a minimum cannot be found, adjust the prism spacing and<br />

search for the minimum again.<br />

Below are some simple formulae for calculating the effects of GVD and<br />

compensation. B (broadening), is defined as the ratio of the output pulse<br />

width to the input pulse width where B = tout/ ti,. Consequently, knowing<br />

the input pulse width, B can be calculated and then tout = B - ti,.<br />

A simple formula for calculating the broadening of a transform-limited<br />

Gaussian pulse by dispersive elements is:

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