Fast‐scanning autocorrelator with 1‐ns scanning range for characterization of mode‐locked ion lasers

We describe a rapid‐scanning autocorrelator interferometer, which will be extremely useful to measure and monitor laser pulses in the 100‐ps regime. A scan range as wide as 1.4 ns is achieved by using a self‐compensated, rotating prism system for the generation of the optical delay. Combining this interferometer with a β‐BaB₂O₄ crystal for second‐harmonic generation, a low‐cost device for real‐time display of the autocorrelation function of mode‐locked ion lasers is obtained.