ASE contrast improvement with a non-linear filtering Sagnac interferometer

Amandine Renault (1, 2) , Frederika Auge-Rochereau (1) , Thomas Planchon (1) , Pascal d'Oliveira (3) , Thierry Auguste (3) , Gilles Cheriaux (1) , Jean-Paul Chambaret (1)

1 LOA - Laboratoire d'optique appliquée
2 Amplitude Technologies
3 Centre d'Etudes de Saclay

A new method to improve the temporal contrast of an ultra-short laser pulse has been developed. This technique uses a Sagnac interferometer in combination with a non-linear medium. A phase shift induced in the ultra-short pulse by non-linear effect separates it from the amplified spontaneous emission background. Experiments with a 1 kHz, 55 fs, 1 mJ Ti:Sa laser were performed. The temporal contrast measurements have shown a contrast improvement of four orders of magnitude.

Keywords: Ultrashort pulses; Contrast; Non-linear filter; Sagnac interferometer

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]

Amandine Renault, Frederika Auge-Rochereau, Thomas Planchon, Pascal d'Oliveira, Thierry Auguste, et al.. ASE contrast improvement with a non-linear filtering Sagnac interferometer. Optics Communications, 2005, 248 (4-6), pp.535-541. ⟨10.1016/j.optcom.2004.12.038⟩. ⟨hal-00526452⟩