Design of a full silica pulse compression grating

Nicolas Bonod (1) , J. Neauport (2)

1 FRESNEL - Institut FRESNEL
2 CESTA - Centre d'études scientifiques et techniques d'Aquitaine

A diffraction grating engraved on a two-dimensional photonic crystal composed of square air holes in a silica matrix is numerically studied for the compression of ultra-short pulses. The silica is therefore the only solid material of the grating and the reflection of the incident beam is based on the contrast of the air and silica refractive indices. This optical component enables the single use of silica as a solid material presenting a high laser induced damage threshold. In comparison to gratings engraved on a dielectric stack (MLD), it offers the advantage of avoiding the presence of interfaces between 2 solid materials with different mechanical properties, sources of mechanical constraints which can distort the grating.

Mots clés: Diffraction grating; Photonic crystal; Laser induced damaged threshold

Domaines: Optique / photonique

Nicolas Bonod, J. Neauport. Design of a full silica pulse compression grating. Optics Letters, 2008, 33 (5), pp.458-460. ⟨hal-00258996⟩