Pulse compression with negative GVD and negative TOD

Traditional grating-pair pulse compressors are used as dispersive delay lines in many applications, particularly in chirped-pulse amplification laser systems.

Grating-pair compressors cannot simultaneously compensate for group velocity dispersion (GVD) and third-order dispersion (TOD) of optical materials. GVD and TOD are both positive in sign for optical materials, while the GVD of a grating pair is always negative GVD and the TOD is always positive. A pulse which has been stretched by optical material can have its GVD compensated by a grating pair, but the leftover TOD cannot be compensated and full compression cannot be achieved.

HORIBA Jobin Yvon has developed a new class of gratings – reflection grisms for dispersion compensation – whose negative GVD and negative TOD are perfectly matched to the GVD and TOD of materials. For the first time, ultrafast pulses can propagate through meters of dispersive material and be fully compressed at the system output. These reflection grisms may exhibit as much as 90% efficiency, can withstand high average power, and are easy to align.

HORIBA Jobin Yvon’s reflection grisms are available for 800 nm and 1.030 µm, for Ti:sapphire and Yb-fiber applications. Other wavelengths are available upon request. Please contact an HORIBA Jobin Yvon applications engineer for recommendations for your particular application.

35-fs pulse produced by a DPA laser system using grisms for dispersion compenstation
(D. Gaudiosi et al.' Optics Express, 2006)

For assistance with your particular application, please contact our gratings division at