Abstract

Advances in ultrafast opto-electronics have recently made possible the generation and detection of femtosecond electromagnetic transients having a duration of only one cycle. The spectral content of these pulses spans an enormous frequency range from dc to the far-infrared, making them useful sources of continuum radiation. When combined with phase-sensitive opto-electronic detection techniques, spectroscopic measurements of materials can be made with both high spectral and temporal precision. This talk will review recent progress on this subject and will describe applications for linear and nonlinear optics in the far-infrared.

© 1986 Optical Society of America