Adaptive Bessel-autocorrelation of ultrashort pulses with phase-only spatial light modulators

摘要

Recently, we proposed a new approach of a noncollinear correlation technique for ultrashort-pulsed coherent optical signals which was referred to as Bessel-autocorrelator (BAC). The BAC-principle combines the advantages of Bessel-like nondiffracting beams like stable propagation, angular robustness and self-reconstruction with the principle of temporal autocorrelation. In comparison to other phase-sensitive measuring techniques, autocorrelation is most straightforward and time-effective because of non-iterative data processing. The analysis of nonlinearly converted fringe patterns of pulsed Bessel-like beams reveals their temporal signature from details of fringe envelopes. By splitting the beams with axicon arrays into multiple sub-beams, transversal resolution is approximated. Here we report on adaptive implementations of BACs with improved phase resolution realized by phase-only liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulators (LCoS-SLMs). Programming microaxicon phase functions in gray value maps enables for a flexible variation of phase and geometry. Experiments on the diagnostics of few-cycle pulses emitted by a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser oscillator at wavelengths around 800 nm with 2D-BAC and angular tuned BAC were performed. All-optical phase shift BAC and fringe free BAC approaches are discussed.