Electric-field reconstruction of femtosecond laser pulses from interferometric autocorrelation using an evolutionary algorithm

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 271; no. 1; pp. 169 - 177
• Main Authors: Hong, Kyung-Han, Lee, Yong Soo, Nam, Chang Hee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Computers in experimental physics; Data analysis: algorithms and implementation; data management; Evolutionary algorithm; Exact sciences and technology; Femtosecond laser; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); High-speed techniques (microsecond to femtosecond); Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Laboratory procedures; Metrology, measurements and laboratory procedures; Nonlinear optics; Optics; Physics; Ultrafast measurement technique; Ultrafast processes; optical pulse generation and pulse compression; Femtosecond laser; 07.05.Kf; Evolutionary algorithm; 06.60.Jn; 42.65.Re; Ultrafast measurement technique; 06.60.Jn; 07.05.Kf; 42.65.Re; Measuring methods; Optical gating; Experimental study; Pulsed lasers; Phase distortion; Femtosecond laser; Ultrafast measurement technique; Evolutionary algorithm; fs range; Reliability; Optical pulse; Electric fields; High-speed optical techniques
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2006.09.070

We present an evolutionary algorithm for reconstructing a femtosecond laser pulse from its interferometric autocorrelation trace and laser spectrum. The algorithm is optimized for the intensity and phase characterization of several-cycle optical pulses. We tested this algorithm with numerically-generated femtosecond pulses and then applied it to experimental data. In the experiment, a negatively chirped 31-fs pulse and a sub-10-fs pulse containing high-order phase distortion were characterized. Frequency-resolved optical gating measurements, performed for comparison, confirm the reliability of our technique.