Abstract

A spectral-filter method is numerically demonstrated to obtain sub-$5\mathrm{fs}$ pulses by using femtosecond filamentation in fused silica. Instead of employing spectral phase compensation, by properly employing a high-pass filter to select the broadened high-frequency spectra that are located almost in phase in the tailing edge of the self-compressed pulses owing to self-steepening, as short as single-cycle pulses can be obtained. For instance, for an input pulse with a duration of $50\mathrm{fs}$ and energy $2.2\mu \mathrm{J}$, the minimum pulse duration can reach to $\sim 4\mathrm{fs}$ (about $1.5\text{\hspace{0.17em} cycles}$) by applying a proper spectral filter.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

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