Carrier-envelope offset phase control: A novel concept for absolute optical frequency measurement and ultrashort pulse generation

The shortest pulses periodically emitted directly from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser are approaching the two-optical-cycle range. In this region, the phase of the optical carrier with respect to the pulse envelope becomes important in nonlinear optical processes such as high-harmonic generation. Because there are no locking mechanisms between envelope and carrier inside a laser, their relative phase offset experiences random fluctuations. Here, we propose several novel methods to measure and to stabilize this carrier-envelope offset (CEO) phase with sub-femtosecond uncertainty. The stabilization methods are an important prerequisite for attosecond pulse generation schemes. Short and highly periodic pulses of a two-cycle laser correspond to an extremely wide frequency comb of equally spaced lines, which can be used for absolute frequency measurements. Using the proposed phase-measurement methods, it will be possible to phase-coherently link any unknown optical frequency within the comb spectrum to a primary microwave standard. Experimental studies using a sub-6-fs Ti:sapphire laser suggesting the feasibility of carrier-envelope phase control are presented. Received: 19 August 1999 / Published online: 8 September 1999     

Feedback-controlled optimization of amplified femtosecond laser pulses

Received: 17 December 1998     

SBS pulse compression to 200 ps in a compact single-cell setup

Received: 14 September 1998 / Published online: 24 February 1999     

Superluminal pulse propagation in an erbium fiber laser

It is well known that saturating gain media can give rise to superluminal pulse propagation velocity. In most mode-locked lasers the effect is unmeasurably small and has not yet been directly demonstrated. We present experiments on the initial transient of an erbium fiber laser that show a dynamic shift in the propagation velocity to a value larger than the medium’s linear group velocity as the pulse builds up. Received: 14 December 1998 / Revised version: 21 May 1999 / Published online: 25 August 1999     

Rhenium(IV)–copper(II) heterobimetallic complexes: Synthesis,crystal structure and magnetic properties

Two Re(IV)–Cu(II) heterometallic complexes {(CuL_α)[ReCl₄(ox)]}_n (where L_α = N-meso-5,12-Me₂-7,14-Et₂-[14]-4,11-dieneN₄), 1, and (CuL_β)[ReCl₄(ox)] (L_β = N-rac-5,12-Me₂-7,14-Et₂-[14]-4,11-dieneN₄N-rac-5,12-Me₂-7,14-Et₂-[14]-4,11-dieneN₄), 2, were synthesized. The [CuL²⁺] macrocyclic cation is coordinated from above and below by [ReCl₄(ox)]²⁻ units through the chloro-ligands and creates a chloro-bridged heterometallic Re^IV–Cu^II one-dimensional zig-zag chain. Compound 2 can be viewed as a heterobimetallic dinuclear unit, in which the Re(IV)-Cu(II) centers are linked by an oxalato bridge. The magnetic behavior of 1 and 2 has been investigated over the temperature range 1.8–300 K. Compound 1 behaves like a ferrimagnetic {Re(IV)–Cu(II)} bimetallic, one-dimensional chain with intrachain antiferromagnetic coupling. Compound 2 shows a weak antiferromagnetic interaction within the [Re(IV)–Cu(II)] unit along with a strong single-ion anisotropy, D(Re) = −63 cm⁻¹.     

Probing the pairing-phase transition with pair-transfer reactions in unstable nuclei

The critical point solution of the pairing phase transition from vibrational to rotational regimes and an application to lead isotopes are described. Suggestions on how to confirm the validity of the E(2) model with transfer reactions using weakly-bound beams are discussed.     

Elimination of cracking during UV laser ablation of SrTiO3 single crystals by employing a femtosecond laser

We have performed a comparative study of UV laser ablation of SrTiO₃ with nanosecond- and sub-picosecond sources, respectively. The experiments were performed with lasers at a wavelength of 248 nm and pulse durations of 34 ns and 500 fs. Femtosecond ablation turns out to be more efficient by one order of magnitude and eliminated the known problem of cracking of SrTiO₃ during laser machining with longer pulses. In addition, the cavities ablated with femtosecond pulses display a smoother surface with no indication of melting and well-defined, sharp edges. These effects can be explained by the reduced thermal shock effect on the material by using ultrashort pulses.     

Quadrupole moment measurement of the highly deformed πg 9/2⊗νh 11/2 band in 130Pr

The quadrupole moment for the πg _9/2⊗νh _11/2 band in the ^130>Pr nucleus has been measured using the Doppler-shift attenuation method. A centroid shift analysis was carried out and a value of Q₀=6.1±0.4 eb, corresponding to an axial prolate deformation of β₂=0.35(3), has been determined. This is the first direct experimental confirmation of the deformation-driving character of the πg _9/2 orbital in an odd-odd nucleus in the A≃135 superdeformed region. Received: 23 April 1998     

Cascaded compression of the first and second Stokes pulses during forward transient stimulated Raman amplification

The results of numerical modelling of cascaded compression of the first and second Stokes pulses during regenerative regime of the forward transient stimulated Raman amplification are presented for the case when the walk-off length of the first Stokes pulse due to group velocity mismatch is shorter than the length of the nonlinear medium. The influence of the initial amplitudes of the seed first Stokes pulses, its durations and its time delay with respect to the pump pulse, the Kerr nonlinearity of the medium on the conversion efficiency, duration and propagation factor M² of the first and second Stokes pulse are studied. It is demonstrated that for the pump pulse duration of 1 ps the duration of the compressed second Stokes pulses in a KGW crystal near the beam axis may be approximately 14 times shorter than the pump pulse duration. It is shown that the propagation factor of the compressed pulses increases significantly because of complex spatial-temporal dynamics of compression and the influence of Kerr nonlinearity of Raman medium.