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Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology

Gaussian Pulses

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Definition: pulses with a temporal intensity profile which has a Gaussian shape

Ultrashort pulses from mode-locked lasers often have a temporal shape which can be described with a Gaussian function:

intensity profile of a Gaussian pulse

where tau is the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) pulse duration.

In many cases, Gaussian pulses have no chirp, i.e., are transform-limited. In that case, the spectral width (optical bandwidth) is

spectral width of Gaussian pulse

which means that the time–bandwidth product is ∼ 0.44.

Compared with a sech2-shaped pulse, a Gaussian pulse with the same width at half-maximum has somewhat weaker wings:

comparison of Gaussian and sech-shaped pulses

Figure 1: Temporal shapes of Gaussian and sech2 pulses.

The peak power of a Gaussian pulse is ∼ 0.94 times the pulse energy divided by the FWHM pulse duration.

The Gaussian pulse shape is typical for pulses from actively mode-locked lasers; it results e.g. from the Haus master equation in simple cases. However, it is also found in various other situations.

See also: pulses, sech2-shaped pulses, transform limit

Category: pulses


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