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Programmable generation of ultrafast optical waveforms: Recent advances in theory and technology

Conference ·
OSTI ID:113509
;  [1]
  1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

Recent advances in the shaping of ultrafast optical waveforms using liquid crystal (LC) spatial light modulators (SLM) are presented. Two LC SLMs are used in a novel arrangement to produce programmable waveforms with specified time-dependent amplitude and temporal phase profiles with the greatest fidelity and complexity to date. The apparatus is also used to demonstrate the generation of an ultrafast waveform with a programmable time-dependent polarization profile. A general theoretical result that describes the space-time electric field profile of waveforms shaped by the spectral filtering of spatially separated frequency components is also presented. The main result is that diffraction gives rise to a translational spatial shift in the electric field profile that varies linearly with time along the shaped waveform.

OSTI ID:
113509
Report Number(s):
CONF-950226--; ISBN 0-8194-1724-6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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