Abstract

Generation of optical pulses of <100-fs duration and a subsequent amplification at kilohertz repetition rate has been shown to be a powerful technique for nonlinear optical investigations requiring simultaneously high excitation intensities (>10¹³W/cm²) and sensitive detection (transmission changes of <10⁻⁴). It is interesting to extend these techniques to the near-IR region (800-1100 nm). Recently, pulses of <100-fs duration have been produced in the near-IR region at 860¹ and 805 nm.² In the latter case, amplification of 805-nm pulses to microjoule energies has been demonstrated at 6-kHz repetition rate² using a copper-vapor laser-pumped amplifier, which is similar to that which has been developed for the 625-nm CPM laser wavelength range.² Continuum generation in ethylene glycol results in broadband white light which is now very intense in the 820-1100-nm region.

© 1987 Optical Society of America