Wavelength and duration tunable subpicosecond source using adiabatic Raman compression

Summary form only given. Versatile infra red pulse sources with small mark-space ratios are of considerable importance to many areas of optical research from optical communication to multi-photon imaging. A wavelength and duration tunable source of sub-picosecond pulses therefore has wide appeal and many potential applications. Pulse compression in tapered optical fibers and in variants of this technique has allowed pulse compression to femtosecond durations but with considerable constraints on the system. The application of distributed Raman amplification allows considerably greater versatility, allowing both wavelength and pulse duration tunability. It should also be noted that repetition rate is also a selectable variable of the scheme that is described.