Based on two theorems, the importance of the root-mean-square (rms) width for the characterization of ultrashort optical pulses is demonstrated. First, it is shown that one can directly determine the rms width from the autocorrelation without making any assumptions about the specific form of the pulse envelope. Second, it is shown that a bandwidth-limited (unchirped) wave packet has the smallest possible rms time–bandwidth product. This reveals a natural definition for a rms chirp that is easily accessible to experimental measurement and that presents a useful measure for the quality of pulse compression techniques.

© 2000 Optical Society of America

[Optical Society of America ]

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Citation lists with outbound citation links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Article level metrics are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

Related Journal Articles

• Influence of optical quality on chirped-pulse amplification: characterization of a 150-nm-bandwidth stretcher (JOSAB)
• Intense 8-fs pulse generation in the deep ultraviolet (OL)
• Single-shot real-time characterization of chirped-pulse amplification systems by spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (OL)
• Characterization of spectral phase modulation by classical and polarization spectral interferometry (JOSAB)
• Adjusting pulse-front tilt and pulse duration by use of a single-shot autocorrelator (OL)

Related Conference Papers

• Intense CEO Phase Stabilized Ultra-Short Pulses Approaching the Single Cycle Limit
• Carrier-Envelope-Phase Stabilized 3.3-fs Optical Pulses in the Monocycle Region
• Carrier-Envelope-Phase Stabilized 3.3-fs Optical Pulses in the Monocycle Region
• 2.8-fs transform-limited optical-pulse generation in the monocycle region
• Analysis of compressed 3.4 fs-optical pulse based on deviation from its Fourier-transform-limited pulseusing Wigner distribution function