Hybrid-plane spectrum slicing for sequentially timed all-optical mapping photography.

Abstract

Sequentially timed all-optical mapping photography (STAMP) is an effective tool for observing ultrafast and non-repetitive events. In the classical design of STAMP, the spatial resolution of the acquired images is different in two directions, severely limiting the scalability of STAMP. Here, by introducing an asymmetric optical design, we make the slicing mirror locate in the hybrid plane of the system, i.e., the image plane in the direction of the short edge, while the Fourier plane is in the direction of the long edge. This avoids the loss of the high-frequency components of the images and hence offers the possibility to further extend the frame number of the system.