Pulse front control with adaptive optics

Abstract

The focusing of ultrashort laser pulses is extremely important for processes including microscopy, laser fabrication and fundamental science. Adaptive optic elements, such as liquid crystal spatial light modulators or membrane deformable mirrors, are routinely used for the correction of aberrations in these systems, leading to improved resolution and efficiency. Here, we demonstrate that adaptive elements used with ultrashort pulses should not be considered simply in terms of wavefront modification, but that changes to the incident pulse front can also occur. We experimentally show how adaptive elements may be used to engineer pulse fronts with spatial resolution.