Molecular modulation in a hollow fiber.

We report the extension of the technique of molecular modulation to a deuterium-filled optical fiber. Using driving lasers at 807 and 1064 nm, each with a pulse energy of several millijoules and a 200 microm diameter fiber with a length of 22.5 cm, we generate 12 sidebands with wavelengths spanning 1.56 microm to 254 nm.

Coherent control of laser-induced breakdown.

We demonstrate coherent control of laser-induced optical breakdown in Ar and Xe with a femtosecond time-scale pulse train. By using a genetic algorithm to set the relative phases of seven optical sidebands that span two octaves of bandwidth, we enhance or suppress the probability of breakdown, vary the onset time of the spark, and to some extent, vary the position of the spark and the timing of the laser-produced shock wave.

Measurement of Fourier-synthesized optical waveforms.

Following the experiments of Shverdin and colleagues [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 033904 (2005)], we describe a technique for determining the temporal envelope of an optical beam whose spectrum consists of n discrete, equally spaced frequency components. Four-wave mixing is employed to generate n-1 higher-frequency sidebands. The relative intensities of these sidebands, together with the intensities of the incident side-bands, determine the unknown relative phases of the incident beam.