Temporal and spectral studies of a synchronously pumped dye laser: Detailed interpretation of autocorrelation measurements

With the combination of precise autocorrelation and spectral measurements we have established the influence of pulse substructure on the determination of pulse envelope duration of a synchronously pumped dye laser within the noise burst model of Pike and Hersher. Our results make a single sided exponential pulse shape unlikely and we present evidence supporting pulses having Gaussian or skewed Gaussian temporal profiles.