Photos

An interferometer for femtosecond spectroscopy. This instrument allows us to resolve ultrafast dynamics in its excitation frequency dependence.

A femtosecond laser system (back left) pumps a non-collinear parametric amplifier (front left). The latter is the primary light source for two different experiments (right hand side).

To minimize scattering and pulse elongation, we circulate our liquid samples in a window-free wire-guided jet. A stable film of approximately 200 μm thickness forms between the two wires. The bright spot is the focus of our three excitation beams. We can use solvents with high surface tension such as water or benzonitrile.

Detail of our pulse compression unit. The rectangular chirped mirrors compensate third order chirp while the prisms balance second order chirp.

We focus an intense amplified laser beam into a gas-filled hollow core fiber (HCF) to broaden the pulse spectra. This HCF-output is used in several experiments, e.g. for further frequency conversion or for versatile transient absorption experiments.