Stable, Chirped, Ultrashort Pulses in Lasers Using the Optical Kerr Effect

A self‐consistent analysis of pulse propagation inside a laser cavity containing, in addition to an amplifying medium, some material displaying the optical Kerr effect, yields ultrashort pulses. These pulses become stable in the limit of high line‐center excess gain with the stabilization provided by an interplay between strong chirping in the Kerr medium and bandlimiting in the laser medium