Dispersion-managed mode locking

The pulse shape and spectrum of ultrashort-pulse Ti:sapphire mode-locked la sers are explained by a model akin to dispersion-managed pulse propagation of optical communications. The pulse is characterized as a nonlinear Bloch wave in a periodic structure. The ultimate spectral width is limited by dis persion and mirror bandwidth and less strongly by gain filtering. The main role of Kerr-lens mode locking is to provide stability against noise buildu p. One-dimensional computer simulations are sufficient to explain the major pulse-shaping dynamics. Results are compared with experiment. (C) 1999 Opt ical Society of America [S0740-3224(99)02211-0].