Generation and Kilohertz-Rate Amplification of Femiosecond Optical Pulses Around 88-nm

The generation of optical pulses of less than 100 femtoseconds duration in the near infrared region at wavelengths around 800 nm is reported. These pulses have been amplified to microjoule energies at 6 kilohertz repetition rate, producing focusable power densities of greater than 10 sub 13 W/cm sub 2. White light continuum extending into the ultraviolet and infrared regions results when these pulses are focused into a jet of ethylene glycol, opening new possibilities for femtosecond spectroscopic investigations.