A pulse compressor. In one embodiment, the pulse compressor comprises an optical medium adapted for receiving a beam of light in an incident optical path and dispersing it into its constituent spectral colors to form a dispersed beam of light in an output optical path, where the optical medium is configured such that when an incident beam of light is received by the optical medium, it passes through the optical medium four times, in a back and forth manner, and leaves the optical medium in the form of a corresponding output beam of light.