Patent ID: 8760661

Claim:
A method for compressing ultrashort optical pulses of a train, the optical pulses having a range of wavelengths, the method comprising: partitioning the wavelength range into a plurality of subsets of wavelength ranges; selecting one of the wavelength range subsets as the current wavelength range subset; modulating the optical pulse train based on the current wavelength range subset by: maintaining the spectral phase of the optical pulse constant at wavelengths outside the current wavelength range subset; and modulating the spectral phase of the optical pulse at wavelengths within the current wavelength range subset; generating a non-linear optical signal from the modulated optical pulse train by directing the modulated optical pulse train through a non-linear optical system; measuring the power of the generated non-linear optical signal; and based on the measured power, extracting values of the spectral phase for the optical pulse at wavelengths within the current wavelength range subset, the values extracted being those that compress the optical pulses.