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Lin Q, Feng F, Cai Y, Lu X, Zeng X, Wang C, Xu S, Li J, Yuan X. Direct space-time manipulation mechanism for spatio-temporal coupling of ultrafast light field. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2416. [PMID: 38499570 PMCID: PMC10948815 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46802-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, manipulation of spatiotemporal coupling (STC) of the ultrafast light fields can be actualized in the space-spectrum domain with some 4-f pulse shapers, which suffers usually from some limitations, such as spectral/pixel resolution and information crosstalk associated with the 4-f pulse shapers. This work introduces a novel mechanism for direct space-time manipulation of ultrafast light fields to overcome the limitations. This mechanism combines a space-dependent time delay with some spatial geometrical transformations, which has been experimentally proved by generating a high-quality STC light field, called light spring (LS). The LS, owing a broad topological charge bandwidth of 11.5 and a tunable central topological charge from 2 to -11, can propagate with a stable spatiotemporal intensity structure from near to far fields. This achievement implies the mechanism provides an efficient way to generate complex STC light fields, such as LS with potential applications in information encryption, optical communication, and laser-plasma acceleration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinggang Lin
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fu Feng
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Research Center for Humanoid Sensing, Zhejiang Laboratory, 311100, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Cai
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaowei Lu
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuanke Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Congying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shixiang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Jingzhen Li
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaocong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China.
- Research Center for Humanoid Sensing, Zhejiang Laboratory, 311100, Hangzhou, China.
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Hall LA, Abouraddy AF. Universal angular-dispersion synthesizer. JOURNAL OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. A, OPTICS, IMAGE SCIENCE, AND VISION 2024; 41:83-94. [PMID: 38175133 DOI: 10.1364/josaa.506629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
We uncover a surprising gap in optics with regards to angular dispersion (AD). A systematic examination of pulsed optical field configurations classified according to their three lowest dispersion orders resulting from AD (the axial phase velocity, group velocity, and group-velocity dispersion) reveals that the majority of possible classes of fields have eluded optics thus far. This gap is due in part to the limited technical reach of the standard components that provide AD such as gratings and prisms, but due in part also to misconceptions regarding the set of physically admissible field configurations that can be accessed via AD. For example, it has long been thought that AD cannot yield normal group-velocity dispersion in free space. We introduce a "universal AD synthesizer": a pulsed-beam shaper that produces a wavelength-dependent propagation angle with arbitrary spectral profile, thereby enabling access to all physically admissible field configurations realizable via AD. This universal AD synthesizer is a versatile tool for preparing pulsed optical fields for dispersion cancellation, optical signal processing, and nonlinear optics.
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