Octave Spanning, 5 Femtosecond Ti:sapphire Laser. MIT - Ultrafast Optics Laboratory. (Image courtesy of Richard Ell. Used with permission.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Franz Kärtner
MIT Course Number
6.977
As Taught In
Spring 2005
Level
Graduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
This course is offered to graduate students and addresses issues regarding ultrafast optics. Topics covered include: Generation, propagation and applications of ultrashort pulses (nano-, pico-, femto-, attosecond pulses); Linear and nonlinear pulse shaping processes: Optical solitons, Pulse compression; Laser principles: Single- and multi-mode laser dynamics, Q-switching, Active and passive mode-locking; Pulse characterization: Autocorrelation, FROG, SPIDER; Noise in mode-locked lasers and its limitations in measurements; Laser amplifiers, optical parametric amplifiers, and oscillators; Applications in research and industry: Pump-probe techniques, Optical imaging, Frequency metrology, Laser ablation, High harmonic generation.