[pt] Este trabalho apresenta a geração de pulsos de microondas linearmente e não-linearmente modulados em frequência (LFM e NLFM) através da técnica fotônica de auto-heterodinagem. Ao utilizar eletrônica de baixa frequência para modular um diodo laser de feedback distribuído, a variação da portadora óptica no tempo (chirp) é observada, o que é causado predominantemente por efeito térmico. Este efeito, combinado com batimento auto-heteródino, foi capaz de produzir pulsos LFM com alto produto largura de banda-tempo (TBWP). Uma outra abordagem é necessária para geração de pulsos NLFM. Primeiro, é introduzida a técnica Espectroscopia Óptica Resolvida no Tempo para caracterização do chirp de um diodo laser. Em seguida, um estímulo de corrente em formato de função degrau é aplicado ao diodo laser para aquisição da função de transferência de seu chirp, H(s). Com a posse de H(s), uma simulação numérica foi usada para descobrir o estímulo necessário de corrente i(t) para obtenção de pulsos de microondas NLFM através da técnica de auto-heterodinagem. Os resultados experimentais coincidem com a simulação. / [en] This work reports the photonic generation of both linear and non-linear frequency modulation (LFM and NLFM) microwave pulses through a self-heterodyne scheme. By using low-frequency electronics to drive a distributed feedback laser diode, optical chirping is generated predominantly by thermal effect. Combining laser chirping and self-heterodyning, LFM pulses with high time-bandwidth product (TBWP) were achieved. A different approach is required for generation of NLFM microwave pulses. First, for characterization of the laser diode chirp, it is introduced a technique named Time- Resolved Optical Spectroscopy. Then, by using a step-shaped current stimulus, the laser chirp transfer function H(s) was obtained. With knowledge on H(s), a numerical simulation produced the suitable current stimulus i(t) needed to generate NLFM microwave pulses through self-heterodyning. Experimental results agreed with the numerical simulations.

Broadband spectral content is required to support ultrashort pulses. However this broadband content is subject to dispersion and hence the pulse duration of corresponding ultrashort pulses may be stretched accordingly. I used a commercially-available adaptive ultrashort pulse shaper featuring multiphoton intrapulse interference phase scan technology to characterise and compensate for the dispersion of the optical system in situ and conducted experimental and theoretical studies in various inter-linked topics relating to the light-matter interaction. Firstly, I examined the role of broadband ultrashort pulses in novel light-matter interacting systems involving optically co-trapped particle systems in which inter-particle light scattering occurs between optically-bound particles. Secondly, I delivered dispersion-compensated broadband ultrashort pulses in a dispersive microscope system to investigate the role of pulse duration in a biological light-matter interaction involving laser-induced cell membrane permeabilisation through linear and nonlinear optical absorption. Finally, I examined some of the propagation characteristics of broadband ultrashort pulse propagation using a computer-controlled spatial light modulator. The propagation characteristics of ultrashort pulses is of paramount importance for defining the light-matter interaction in systems. The ability to control ultrashort pulse propagation by using adaptive dispersion compensation enables chirp-free ultrashort pulses to be used in experiments requiring the shortest possible pulses for a specified spectral bandwidth. Ultrashort pulsed beams may be configured to provide high peak intensities over long propagation lengths, for example, using novel beam shapes such as Bessel-type beams, which has applications in biological light-matter interactions including phototransfection based on laser-induced cell membrane permeabilisation. The need for precise positioning of the beam focus on the cell membrane becomes less strenuous by virtue of the spatial properties of the Bessel beam. Dispersion compensation can be used to control the temporal properties of ultrashort pulses thus permitting, for example, a high peak intensity to be maintained along the length of a Bessel beam, thereby reducing the pulse energy required to permeabilise the cell membrane and potentially reduce damage therein.