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The short pulse durations of ultrafast lasers lead to broad wavelength bandwidths, making ultrafast systems especially susceptible to dispersion and pulse broadening.

The short pulse durations of ultrafast lasers make them interact with optical components differently, impacting the optic’s laser damage threshold.

Master the fundamentals of ultrafast lasers and how to choose optics that can withstand their high powers and short pulse durations.

Advances in laser technology have made it possible to produce pulses ranging from a few femtoseconds to tens of attoseconds. Learn more at Edmund Optics.

Understanding group delay dispersion (GDD) is critical for knowing how ultrafast laser pulses will be stretched or compressed.

Multiphoton microscopy is ideal for capturing high-resolution 3D images with reduced photobleaching and phototoxicity compared to confocal microscopy.

Ultrafast highly-dispersive mirrors are critical for pulse compression and dispersion compensation in ultrafast laser applications, improving system performance.

The Off-Axis Parabolic Mirror Selection (OAP) Guide refines your search for an OAP mirror from Edmund Optics.

Surface roughness describes how a shape deviates from its ideal form. This is critical for controlling light scatter in laser devices and other optical systems.

Understanding the most common laser sources, modes of operation, and gain media provides the context for selecting the proper laser for your specific application.

Not all optical components are tested for laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) and testing methods differ, resulting in different types of LIDT specifications.

Dispersion is the dependence of the phase velocity or phase delay of light on another parameter, such as wavelength, propagation mode, or polarization.

Lasers can be used for a variety of applications. Learn how lasers work, different elements, and the differences between laser types at Edmund Optics.

Laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) of optics is a statistical value influenced by defect density, the testing method, and fluctuations in the laser.

Learn why the bulk laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of glass is significantly different than the LIDT optical components with coatings, such as AR thin films.

The diameter of a laser highly affects an optic’s laser induced damage (LIDT) as beam diameter directly impacts the probability of laser damage.

Learn the key parameters that must be considered to ensure you laser application is successful. Common terminology will be established for these parameters.

Edmund Optics' Polarizer Selection Guide refines your search for a specific type of polarizer.

Metrology is critical for ensuring that optical components consistently meet their desired specifications, especially in laser applications.

Overspecifying optical losses in laser systems will not further improve your performance or reliability, but it could cost you additional money and/or time.

Power density, energy density, fluence, and irradiance are often incorrectly used in laser optics applications. Learn the correct definitions and usage.

Learn how to navigate the many available options for shaping the irradiance profile and phase of laser beams to maximize your laser system's performance.

Laser beam expanders are critical for reducing power density, minimizing beam diameter at a distance, and minimizing focused laser spot size.

Want to learn more about metallic mirror coatings? Find information about standard and custom metallic mirror coatings that are available at Edmund Optics.

Testing laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) is not standardized, so understanding how your optics were tested is critical for predicting performance.

Learn about how diffraction gratings separate incident light into separate beam paths, different types of gratings, and how to choose the best grating for you.

Optical coatings are used to influence the transmission, reflection, or polarization properties of an optical component.

The LIDT of continuous wave (CW) lasers is dependent on laser power, beam diameter, and other use parameters.

Laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) denotes the maximum laser fluence an optical component can withstand with an acceptable amount of risk.