Abstract

Ultrashort pulses in the near-ultraviolet and blue spectral range are required for many spectroscopic experiments with molecules and/or solid-state materials. In this paper, we report the generation of 16-fs pulses at 425 nm by second-harmonic generation using 15-fs pulses at 850 nm and a 100 μm BBO crystal.¹ The average fundamental power at the crystal was 550 mW and the second-harmonic power generated was 40 mW. Having expanded the fundamental beam from a self-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser in a 31 mirror telescope it was then focused into a BBO crystal with a f = 75 mm lens.

© 1996 Optical Society of America