Ultrafast laser and electron pulses for high resolution imaging

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Lasers have impacted science, engineering and medicine in a transformative way. Lasers have opened new avenues for fundamental research and generated practical outcomes that have changed our daily life. Lasers have enabled new industrial processes and medical treatments and have triggered the present age of information. Lasers have allowed exploring new states of matter at unprecedented time scales. Laser systems generate powerful beams that can be positioned with sub-wavelength accuracy and have enabled microscopy tools with unmatched resolution. Nowadays laser science is moving towards fiber lasers that are compact and efficient. However propagation of optical signals in optical fibers leads to nonlinear effects that must be carefully managed, especially with pulses of short duration. The effective bandwidth of fiber lasers inhibits the generation of pulses of duration lasting a few optical cycles. In the coming mandate we will explore methods to resolve the issues raised by the latter effects that have limited the use of fiber laser systems. Our proposal will also address how properly structured laser signals can be used for high resolution imaging with laser scanning optical microscopes and laser accelerated electrons beams.