Generation of Pulse Sequences with Periodic Spectral Phase Masks

We present a method for the generation of complex pulse sequences by using periodic spectral phase modulation. An analytical expression is derived for the temporal profile of such pulse sequences, which relates the temporal amplitudes and phases of the subpulses to the Fourier components of the periodic phase mask. We consider two families of periodic phase masks, namely, when a single period is an odd or even function, and discuss the differences between the resulting pulse sequences. The ability to generate pulse sequences with more degrees of freedom provides an alternative parametrization for investigating quantum coherent control landscapes. This is illustrated in the context of dark pulses in nonresonant two-photon absorption.