Control and precise measurement of carrier-envelope phase dynamics

The evolution of the carrier-envelope offset phase _CEO of a 10-fs Ti:Sapphire laser has been traced on time scales from microseconds to seconds using various techniques. Precise locking of this phase has been achieved down to an rms deviation of 1/40 of an optical cycle. Stability measurements have been performed independently of the feedback loop, focusing on the phase jitter introduced by the feedback loop itself, the pump laser, and a prism compressor. It is shown that a multi-mode pump laser introduces more phase noise on _CEO than a single-mode pump laser. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.60.Mi; 42.62.Eh