Propagation of ultrashort laser pulses through water.

In this paper, propagation of ultrashort pulses through a long 3.5 meter water channel was studied. Of particular interest was the attenuation of the beam at various lengths along the variable path length and to find an explanation of why the attenuation deviates from typical Beer Lambert law around 3 meters for ultrashort laser pulse transmission.

Diffraction characteristics of a Fresnel zone plate illuminated by 10 fs laser pulses.

Results of experimental and theoretical work performed to compare diffraction patterns and focal distributions of a Fresnel zone plate illuminated by ultrashort 10 fs pulsed and cw laser beams are presented. It is shown that the foci intensities of 10 fs pulses are considerably lower than those of cw beams while the focal widths in the axial and radial directions are broadened. Calculations also indicate the spectral modulation along the center of the diffraction patterns.

Diffraction characteristics of 10 fs laser pulses passing through an aperture.

Results are presented on experimental and theoretical work performed to compare diffraction phenomena for ultrashort 10 fs pulses and continuous-wave propagation modes illuminating different-sized pinholes and slits. Results demonstrate that 10 fs pulses do not produce high-frequency diffraction like that produced with continuous-wave illumination. The diffraction through a 1 mm pinhole of temporally stretched pulses obtained by using fused silica plates whose frequency spectrum remains the same is compared with those of 10 fs pulses.