Conversion of ultrashort laser pulses into an electromagnetic signal in dispersive waveguides

An analysis is made of the principal features of the conversion of short laser pulses (by the optical rectification effect) into an electromagnetic signal in a guiding system composed of two parallel metal planes with a thin nonlinear crystal between them. It is shown that the dispersion of such a system may increase the length of a signal well in excess of the duration of the original pulse. Estimates of the amplitudes of the excited oscillation modes are given for KDP and lithium niobate crystals. It is pointed out that the proposed conversion method can be used in measurements of the parameters of the output of self-mode-locked lasers.