Breaking the Single-Cycle Barrier
From Fourier theory, we know that any periodic shape may be formed by combining sinusoidal waves with prescribed amplitudes, frequencies and relative phases. Functions such as a square or sawtooth wave require frequencies covering several octaves of bandwidth.
In the acoustic regime, multioctave radiation sources are abundant. A typical concert piano spans seven octaves of bandwidth. The voice of a good opera singer can stretch over nearly four octaves.
In optics, a laser is a source of...
Photonics Spectra, February 2005