| A new method of using thick nonlinear crystals to make measurements of ultrashort-laser pulses was explored theoretically and experimentally. Initial experiments using dithered thick nonlinear crystals showed good agreement with established techniques, with an increase in measurement sensitivity. A device using a thick nonlinear crystal and a special prism was designed, built, and tested. The device showed good agreement with established techniques, but with much greater sensitivity, no required dithering, and many less sensitive degrees of alignment. The device was also more inexpensive, and much more compact. The device was extended to greater ranges of measurements while maintaining its full resolution through a simple modification, and still maintained good agreement with established techniques. This research also uncovered a heretofore unknown ambiguity in ultrashort-laser pulse measurement, and the ambiguity was studied, well characterized, and a procedure for breaking its symmetry was written. The device's limitations were well characterized, and a procedure for designing the device for a given range of pulses was developed. The device has been an extremely useful and commercially successful tool for ultrafast research, especially to those not specialized in optics. |
