On compression of electromagnetic pulses in dielectric plates

The results of theoretical investigation of propagation of electromagnetic wave pulses in nonlinear dielectric plates, taking into account the dispersion introduced by the plate to the maximum possible extent, are presented. The investigation is aimed at obtaining the shortest possible pulses of electromagnetic waves. Pulse compression is based on the collapse of electromagnetic waves in transparent dielectrics with electronic non-linearity. The integral equation for describing the pulse compression is derived, and conditions under which a pulse is compressed relative to time and one of the transverse coordinates are determined. Numerical simulation shows that quite short (on the order of a few femtoseconds) pulses can be obtained in this way.