Zero-distance pulse fronts of a compressor, a stretcher, and the optical system of thestretcher

A two-grating stretcher is a dispersion delay line that is widely used in chirped pulse amplification for ultrafast laser pulses. If the stretcher consists of two reflecting diffraction gratings with a reflective perfect optical system between them, its dispersion can be calculated by using the concept of a “zero-distance pulse front.” We also use the concept of the “zero-distance pulse front” for characteristics of the aberrations in the real optical system of the stretcher. The similarity of these “zero-distance pulse fronts” allows us to study the influence of aberrations in the real optical system of the stretcher on its dispersion.