80× single-stage compression of frequency doubled Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet laser pulses

Single-stage compression factors as high as 80× have been demonstrated for the 0.532-μm optical pulses of a frequency doubled Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet laser using a single-mode fiber and a modified grating-pair delay line. Input optical pulses of 33-ps duration have been compressed to 0.41-ps duration. This represents the largest single-stage compression factor reported to date. Subpicosecond optical pulses can be obtained directly from relatively long optical pulses without the use of a mode-locked dye laser.