4TH-ORDER DISPERSION-LIMITED SOLITARY PULSES

We analyze the performance of a a:sapphire self-mode-locked laser with near-zero second- and third-order dispersion. Our simulations show th at, in the presence of fourth-order dispersion, solitary laser pulses can be supported within a wide parameter range, close to the experimen tal values of these parameters. We also conclude that it is possible t o generate pulses much shorter than 10 fs if fourth-order dispersion i s further reduced.