Programmable-trajectory ultrafast flying focus pulses

“Flying focus” techniques produce laser pulses with dynamic focal points that travel distances much greater than a Rayleigh length. The implementation of these techniques in laser-based applications requires the design of optical configurations that can both extend the focal range and structure the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics express 2023-09, Vol.31 (19), p.31354
Main Authors: Ambat, M. V., Shaw, J. L., Pigeon, J. J., Miller, K. G., Simpson, T. T., Froula, D. H., Palastro, J. P.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:“Flying focus” techniques produce laser pulses with dynamic focal points that travel distances much greater than a Rayleigh length. The implementation of these techniques in laser-based applications requires the design of optical configurations that can both extend the focal range and structure the radial group delay. This article describes a method for designing optical configurations that produce ultrashort flying focus pulses with programmable-trajectory focal points. The method is illustrated by several examples that employ an axiparabola for extending the focal range and either a reflective echelon or a deformable mirror-spatial light modulator pair for structuring the radial group delay. The latter configuration enables rapid exploration and optimization of flying foci, which could be ideal for experiments.
ISSN:1094-4087
1094-4087
DOI:10.1364/OE.499839