Generation of ultrasmooth broadband spectra by gain-assisted self-phase modulation in a ti:Sapphire laser

Abstract

We demonstrate the generation of broadband symmetric spectra centered at 800 nm directly from a standard prism dispersion controlled mode locked Ti:sapphire laser built using standard quarter-wave stacks. To our knowledge, these are the smoothest broadband spectra ever generated from a Ti:sapphire laser. Measurements of the net intracavity dispersion, and a one-dimensional simulation, suggest that spectral generation and shaping result from intracavity gain-assisted self-phase modulation. © 2007 Springer-Verlag New York.