Generation of a Single-Cycle Optical Pulse

M. Y. Shverdin, D. R. Walker, D. D. Yavuz, G. Y. Yin, and S. E. Harris

Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 033904 – Published 25 January 2005

Abstract

We make use of coherent control of four-wave mixing to the ultraviolet as a diagnostic and describe the generation of a periodic optical waveform where the spectrum is sufficiently broad that the envelope is approximately a single-cycle in length, and where the temporal shape of this envelope may be synthesized by varying the coefficients of a Fourier series. Specifically, using seven sidebands, we report the generation of a train of single-cycle optical pulses with a pulse width of 1.6 fs, a pulse separation of 11 fs, and a peak power of 1 MW.