Scaling Self-Phase Modulation in fused silica to MIR Wavelengths

Decreasing pulse durations to the single cycle limit enable new laser interactions, idealized probe beams, and can increase intensity. Self-phase modulation is a nonlinear effect that broadens the spectrum of an intense laser pulse. With sufficient broadening, pulse durations could be compressed to a single cycle pulse duration if the phase is properly controlled. We demonstrate SPM in a variety of targets at wavelengths spanning the near infrared, with measurements of pulse duration, spectral phase, compressibility, and wavefront. Numerical modeling of the nonlinear propagation has also been used to verify nonlinear indices.