Abstract: Photons emitted from a sample responsive to being excited by laser pulses are directed through a prism onto a photomultiplier tube having several spaced-apart anodes. The prism alters the path of each photon as a function of its wavelength so that the wavelength determines the anode to which the photon is directed. Taps of first and second delay lines that are coupled to respective alternating anodes. When an anode receives the photon, it generates a pulse that propagates through the delay line in opposite directions from its associated tap. A timer determines first and second times from the laser pulse to the pulse reaching the first and second ends of the delay line. The difference between the first and second times corresponds to the wavelength of the emitted photon and the sum of the first and second times corresponds to the emission delay of the emitted photon.

Abstract: An optical system for efficiently directing a large bandwidth light (e.g., a femtosecond laser pulse) onto a nonlinear optical medium includes a plurality of optical elements for directing an input light pulse onto a nonlinear optical medium arranged such that the angle .theta..sub.in which the light pulse directed onto the nonlinear optical medium is substantially independent of a position x of the light beam entering the optical system. The optical system is also constructed such that the group velocity dispersion of light pulses passing through the system can be tuned to a desired value including negative group velocity dispersion.