1 Introduction and Review.

1.1 Introduction to Ultrashort Laser Pulses.

1.2 Brief Review of Electromagnetics.

1.3 Review of Laser Essentials.

1.4 Introduction to Ultrashort Pulse Generation Through Mode-Locking.

1.5 Fourier Series and Fourier Transforms.

2 Principles of Mode-Locking.

2.1 Processes Involved in Mode-Locking.

2.2 Active Mode-Locking.

2.3 Passive Mode-Locking Using Saturable Absorbers.

2.4 Solid-State Laser Mode-Locking Using the Optical Kerr Effect.

3 Ultrafast-pulse Measurement Methods.

3.1 Terminology and Definitions.

3.2 Electric Field Autocorrelation Measurements and the Power Spectrum.

3.3 Electric Field Cross-Correlation Measurements and Spectral Interferometry.

3.4 Intensity Correlation Measurements.

3.5 Chirped Pulses and Measurements in the Time–Frequency Domain.

3.6 Frequency-Resolved Optical Gating.

3.7 Pulse Measurements Based on Frequency Filtering.

3.8 Self-Referencing Interferometry.

3.9 Characterization of Noise and Jitter.

4 Dispersion and Dispersion Compensation.

4.1 Group Velocity Dispersion.

4.2 Temporal Dispersion Based on Angular Dispersion.

4.3 Dispersion of Grating Pairs.

4.4 Dispersion of Prism Pairs.

4.5 Dispersive Properties of Lenses.

4.6 Dispersion of Mirror Structures.

4.7 Measurements of Group Velocity Dispersion.

4.8 Appendix.

5 Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics: Second Order.

5.1 Introduction to Nonlinear Optics.

5.2 The Forced Wave Equation.

5.3 Summary of Continuous-Wave Second-Harmonic Generation.

5.4 Second-Harmonic Generation with Pulses.

5.5 Three-Wave Interactions.

5.6 Appendix.

6 Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics: Third Order.

6.1 Propagation Equation for Nonlinear Refractive Index Media.

6.2 The Nonlinear Schr¨odinger Equation.

6.3 Self-Phase Modulation.

6.3.1 Dispersionless Self-Phase Modulation.

6.4 Pulse Compression.

6.5 Modulational Instability.

6.6 Solitons.

6.7 Higher-Order Propagation Effects.

6.8 Continuum Generation.

7 Mode-Locking: Selected Advanced Topics.

7.1 Soliton Fiber Lasers: Artificial Fast Saturable Absorbers.

7.2 Soliton Mode-Locking: Active Modulation and Slow Saturable Absorbers.

7.3 Stretched Pulse Mode-Locking.

7.4 Mode-Locked Lasers in the Few-Cycle Regime.

7.5 Mode-Locked Frequency Combs.

8 Manipulation of Ultrashort Pulses.

8.1 Fourier Transform Pulse Shaping,.

8.2 Other Pulse-Shaping Techniques.

8.3 Chirp Processing and Time Lenses.

8.4 Ultrashort-Pulse Amplification.

8.5 Appendix.

9 Ultrafast Time-Resolved Spectroscopy.

9.1 Introduction to Ultrafast Spectroscopy.

9.2 Degenerate Pump–Probe Transmission Measurements.

9.3 Nondegenerate and Spectrally Resolved Pump–Probe: Case Studies.

9.4 Basic Quantum Mechanics for Coherent Short-Pulse Spectroscopies.

9.5 Wave Packets.

9.6 Dephasing Phenomena.

9.7 Impulsive Stimulated Raman Scattering.

10 Terahertz Time-Domain Electromagnetics.

10.1 Ultrafast Electromagnetics: Transmission Lines.

10.2 Ultrafast Electromagnetics: Terahertz Beams.

References.

Index.