Solid-State Materials for Few-Cycle Pulse Generation and Amplification

Abstract

Well-established and prospective broadband solid-state active media are discussed from the point of view of their use in few-cycle oscillators and amplifiers. The physical principles leading to broad gain bandwidth, diode-pumped and effective room temperature operation are considered, and the outlook for materials with even better parameters are given. The most important materials currently used for few-cycle generation in all wavelength regions from ultraviolet to mid-infrared are described in detail.