Effects of sample dispersion on ultrafast laser focusing
Sun B., Salter PS., Booth MJ.
© 2015 Optical Society of America. We theoretically investigate the effects of sample dispersion on the focusing of ultrashort laser pulses. Both the conventional point focusing and temporal focusing are studied. The influence of laser parameters, objective lenses, and sample materials is discussed in detail. The sample dispersion introduces spatial and temporal distortions to the laser focus, and reduces the focal intensity. These effects are more significant when a laser with a shorter pulse duration is focused into the sample at a larger depth. The presented results show the significance of sample dispersion effects in different scenarios, and look to inform on a proper choice of specific focusing method in practical cases.