Problem
Ultrashort pulsed lasers are multi-disciplinary tools that have enabled powerful new technologies, with prominent examples in biomedicine, neuroscience, immunology, embryology, cancer research, metrology, materials processing, telecommunications, chemistry, and energy research. Unfortunately, directly accessible wavelengths are dependent on gain media of which there are not many choices. Accessing other wavelengths requires the use of expensive and bulky nonlinear frequency conversion methods. Available repetition rates are similarly constrained. The wavelength and repetition rate restrictions as well as the high cost limit commercial applications of ultrashort pulsed lasers.
Solution
We have developed a technique which allows us to achieve ultrashort laser pulses without requiring a gain medium. With no gain medium, wavelength restrictions are eliminated, as are expensive and bulky nonlinear frequency conversion systems. Restrictions on repetition rates are similarly removed. We have built a proof-of-principle system capable of 210 fs pulses which has an estimated 10x improvement in cost over a comparable system. Finally, our design is fiber-based so the resulting ultrashort pulse laser system is both compact and robust.
Links to a University News Article and Physical Review Letters article:
https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/rochester-versatile-ultrafast-laser-pulse-445912/
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.033902