Programmable and arbitrary-trajectory ultrafast flying focus pulses
Abstract
"Flying focus" techniques produce laser pulses with dynamic focal points that travels 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 arbitrary-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.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2307.05313,
title = {Programmable and arbitrary-trajectory ultrafast flying focus pulses},
author = {M. V. Ambat and J. L. Shaw and J. J. Pigeon and K. G. Miller and T. T. Simpson and D. H. Froula and J. P. Palastro},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2307.05313},
year = {2023}
}