These notes follow along the excellent book Ultrafast Lasers: A Comprehensive Introduction to Fundamental Principles with Practical Applications written by Prof. Keller. For my original notes on the lecture 'Ultrafast Laser Physics' taught by Prof. Gallmann in the fall semester of 2023/24, please visit the exam collection of the VMP here. The content of this lecture and book was imperative in my initial decision to pursue laser physics.

Table of Contents

The generation and control of short, intense laser pulses stand among the most dynamic challenges in modern photonics: By refining pulse characteristics—such as duration, shape, and energy— it is possible to probe phenomena on ever-smaller spatial and temporal scales. This pursuit has fuelled advancements in many fields of active research and engineering. These notes aim to offer a detailed exploration into the building blocks of ultrafast laser science. While the content is experimental, important theoretical tools and ideas will be derived, if the derivations themselves helps in providing an understand of the underlying physics.

Table of Contents

1 Plane Wave Propagation in Dispersive Media
2 Linear Pulse Propagation
3 Dispersion Compensation
4 Nonlinear Pulse Propagation
5 Laser Rate Equations