Ultrafast Optics

  Lecture video (YT link)

  Lecture notes (.pdf)

  Lecture video (YT link)

  Lecture notes (.pdf)

  Home assignment:

    1. The instantaneous frequency tells us how the frequency changes as we scan across the pulse in time.
        The group delay tells us how different frequencies arrive at different times.
        Using the steps similar to these that were used to derive the formula for the instantaneous frequency, derive the formula for the group delay.

    2. Draw the electric field amplitude for a Gaussian pulse with positive linear chirp.
        Draw the pulse intensity and phase vs. time.
        Draw the pulse intensity and phase vs. frequency.

  Lecture video (YT link)

  Lecture notes (.pdf)

  Home assignment:

    1. Find a commercial femtosecond laser (oscillator) specs and note the parameters: average power, pulse duration and repetition rate. From these three numbers, calculate:

    - the pulse energy,
    - the pulse instantaneous power,
    - the maximum possible pulse instantaneous intensity (assume reasonable focusing condition, with e.g. a single lens of moderate NA).

    2. Find at least three different approaches to passive mode-locking of fiber lasers (e.g. saturable absorbers deposited on fibre end/side, nonlinear polarization rotation, NOLM, NALM) . Make sure that you understand each technique at the basic (qualitative) level and that you can explain its fundamental concepts in a few sentences.

  Lecture video (YT link)

  Lecture notes (.pdf)

  Home assignment:

    1. Find a commercial femtosecond CPA amplifier (crystal of fiber) specs and note the parameters: average power, pulse duration and repetition rate. From these three numbers, calculate:

- the pulse energy,
- the pulse instantaneous power,
- the maximum possible pulse instantaneous intensity (assume reasonable focusing condition, with e.g. a single lens of moderate NA).

    Compare these numbers with the results for an ultrafast oscillator you got last week.

    2. Make sure you understand the fundamental differences between laser and parametric optical amplifiers and can list their pros and cons.

  Lecture video (YT link)

  Lecture notes (.pdf)

  Home assignment:

    1. Explain the fundamental concept of the pump-probe ultrafast spectroscopy. Draw the schematic of a basic experimental setup. If you want to scan the delays in this experiment up to 10 ps with 10 fs resolution, what are the parameters of the translation stage you need to use in the delay line? Find the appropriate stage in one of the suppliers on-line.

    2. What are the two very efficient processes in biology that involve light absorption and why are the initial stages of these processes ultrafast?

  Lecture video (YT link)

  Lecture notes (.pdf)

  Home assignment:

   1. Make sure you understand the concepts of the phase velocity, the group velocity and the group velocity dispersion in the context of femtosecond light pulse propagation.

   2. Check what is the maximum negative GDD (in fs2) offered by broadband chirped mirrors at 800 nm available on the market.

  Lecture video (YT link)

  Lecture notes (.pdf)

  Home assignment:

    1. Draw a sketch of the 4f zero-dispersion stretcher with diffraction gratings and lenses. Mark the important distances and position of the Fourier plane. Make sure you understand what happens to the beam of femtosecond pulses, as it travels through this setup.

    2. Explain how the liquid crystal spatial light modulator changes the phase and amplitude of the transmitted light.

   Lecture video (YT link)

   Lecture notes (.pdf)

   Home assignment:

    1. Explain how anharmonic potential leads to nonlinear polarization and thus to nonlinear optical response in transparent dielectrics (at a single atom level).

     2. Explain what the phase matching is and why it is important for macroscopic nonlinear response.

     3. Find out what are the maximum possible efficiencies available in the second harmonic generation with femtosecond laser pulses.

   Lecture video (YT link)

   Lecture notes (.pdf)

  Home assignment:

    1. Make sure you understand the basic concept of coherent control. How is it done? What can it achieve?

    2. Why are genetic algorithms used in coherent control experiments? How does a simple genetic algorithm work?

   Lecture video (YT link)

   Lecture notes (.pdf)

   Home assignment:

    1. Find at least five different crystals that are commonly used for SHG in the UV, VIS and NIR spectral range. Make sure you check their "commercial" names (such as "KDP") as well as their proper chemical names and the spectral tuning ranges.

    2. Find the characterists of a commercially available microstructured fiber for supercontinuum generation. What are the important parameters?

   Lecture video (YT link)

   Lecture notes (.pdf)

   Home assignment:

    1. Find a translation stage model that you would use to build a scanning interferometric autocorrelator for 100 fs pulses from a Ti:Sapphire oscillator. What are the most important parameters of the stage?

    2. Draw a schematic of a simple SHG FROG.

   Lecture video (YT link)

   Lecture notes (.pdf)

   Home assignment:

    1. Explain how it is possible that two pulses separated in time (they E-fields do not overlap) can interfere to produce fringes in the spectrum? Hint: look at how a short pulse looks like in time-space while it propagates in a prism compressor (Lecture 6).

    2. Draw a schematic of a SPIDER setup with Michelson-like interferometer and grating stretcher.

   Lecture video (YT link)

    Lecture notes (.pdf)

   Home assignment:

    1. What are the advantages of using short (femtosecond) laser pulses to machine various materials, compared to using long (or CW) laser sources?

    2. Find a few companies offering laser micromachining and check what they offer.

    3. Explain the basic concept of generating attosecond pulse by high harmonic generation in gases. Draw a schematic of a setup.