1. Properties of frequency-drift pulse amplification

The schematic diagram of the CPA technique is shown in figure 1 . The output beam of a mode-locked oscillator, consisting of a train of short pulses [AF 3 282] , is sent into a dispersive system. The phase term associated with dispersion then causes a temporal broadening and frequency drift of the pulses, which can then be amplified efficiently, limiting the risk of optical damage. Compression is then achieved by applying opposite dispersion to the pulses....