A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHAPING OPTICAL PULSES

摘要

An optical pulse shaping device and methhod of shaping an optical pulse involves the use of a phase coherent multi-frequency light beam with an optical element consisting of a sample containing an absorption band with multiple holes. The holes are burned into the sample to selected depths at selected frequency locations, thereby permitting the relative phases and amplitudes of the input frequency components of the beam to be independently varied to arbitrary values. This system enables a generalized Fourier synthesis of optical pulses such as a laser with designed temporal profiles to be effected.