A Compact Femtosecond Pulse Expander with Tunable Expanding Ratio and Wavelength

A major problem of existing pulse expanders is that each of them was designed for a certain expanding ratio at a certain wavelength. When the laser wavelength or pulse duration is changed the optical components of the systems require precise readjustment, which are extremely inconvenient and time consuming. Luna proposes a novel approach, which is designed specifically for easy alignment and insensitivity to misalignment to achieve the desired pulse duration and wavelength changes, and the approach avoids the use of complex and expansive optical components to reduce complexity and cost. This proposed pulse expander can expand an ultrashort pulse to a longer duration pulse in a time range from several hundred femtoseconds to nanoseconds with adjustable wavelength and reshaping capability. In Phase I, a complete theoretical model of the pulse expander will be developed and will be used to guide future implementation of a prototype during Phase II. The performance of the prototype will be characterized and optimized during Phase III. A complete system is expected to be produced and delivered by the end of Phase III.