Abstract

The transient behavior of a frequency-swept optical pulse transmitted through a resonant vapor cell is observed by an optical sampling technique with ~20-fsec time resolution. The observed 200-fsec transients are the fastest intensity sampling measurement ever made on an atomic vapor and provide a precise determination of the time-varying phase of the pulse. The observed phase shows deviations from a linear frequency sweep, which may account for previous limits on pulse compression.

© 1986 Optical Society of America

Studies of picosecond collisional dephasing in atomic sodium vapor using broad-bandwidth transient four-wave mixing

J. E. Golubb and T. W. Mossberg
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 3(4) 554-559 (1986)

Measurement of the phase of a frequency-swept ultrashort optical pulse

Joshua E. Rothenberg and D. Grischkowsky
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 2(4) 626-633 (1985)

Coherent transients excited by subpicosecond pulses of terahertz radiation

H. Harde and D. Grischkowsky
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 8(8) 1642-1651 (1991)

Coherent transients in active optical fibers

M. M. Broer and B. Golding
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 3(4) 523-526 (1986)

Observation and relaxation of the two-photon-excited trilevel echo in sodium vapor

T. J. Chen, D. DeBeer, and S. R. Hartmann
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 3(4) 493-496 (1986)