Synthesizing broadband propagation-invariant space-time wave packets using transmissive phase plates

Kondakci, H. Esat; Yessenov, Murat; Meem, Monjurul; Reyes, Danielle; Thul, Daniel; Fairchild, Shermineh Rostami; Richardson, Martin; Menon, Rajesh; Abouraddy, Ayman F.

doi:10.1364/oe.26.013628

Cited by 58 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…1(c)]. We make use of an SLM here to introduce the spatio-temporal correlations, but refractive phase plates can be alternatively exploited 23 . The ST wave packet has a temporal bandwidth of ∆ω (or ∆λ in terms of wavelengths) and a spatial bandwidth of ∆k x , which are not independent but are related through the tilt angle θ of the spectral hyperplane [ Fig.…”

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confidence: 99%

Self-healing of space-time light sheets

Kondakci¹,

Abouraddy²

2018

Opt. Lett.

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Space-time (ST) wave packets are diffraction-free, dispersion-free pulsed beams whose propagation invariance stems from correlations introduced into their spatio-temporal spectra. We demonstrate here experimentally and computationally that ST light sheets exhibit self-healing properties upon traversing obstacles in the form of opaque obstructions. The unscattered fraction of the wave packet retains the spatio-temporal correlations and, thus, propagation invariance is maintained. The scattered component does not satisfy the requisite correlation and thus, undergoes diffractive spreading. These results indicate the robustness of ST wave packets and their potential utility for deep illumination and imaging in scattering media, such as biological tissues.

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confidence: 99%

Self-healing of space-time light sheets

Kondakci¹,

Abouraddy²

2018

Opt. Lett.

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“…Therefore, the initially overlapping wave packets travel rigidly in free space at their respective group velocities without diffraction or dispersion, thereby separating from each other (Methods). A large number of wave packets can be addressed in this fashion using large-area phase plates for spectral-phase modulation [72], and the widths of the spectral channels need not be equal nor the spectra have mutual coherence [73,74].…”

Section: Concept Of a Free-space Optical Delay Line Based On St Wave mentioning

confidence: 99%

Demonstration of a Free-Space Optical Delay Line Using Space-Time Wave Packets

Yessenov

Abouraddy

2019

Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science APS/DLS

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An optical buffer having a large delay-bandwidth-product -a critical component for future all-optical communications networks -remains elusive. Central to its realization is a controllable inline optical delay line, previously accomplished via engineered dispersion in optical materials or photonic structures constrained by a low delay-bandwidth product. Here we show that space-time wave packets whose group velocity in free space is continuously tunable provide a versatile platform for constructing inline optical delay lines. By spatio-temporal spectral-phase-modulation, wave packets in the same or in different spectral windows that initially overlap in space and time subsequently separate by multiple pulse widths upon free propagation by virtue of their different group velocities. Delay-bandwidth products of ∼100 for pulses of width ∼1 ps are observed, with no fundamental limit on the system bandwidth. arXiv:1910.05616v1 [physics.optics] 12 Oct 2019The relentless increase in demand for communications bandwidth [1] has spurred developments in sub-systems that are critical for future optical networks, such as spatial-mode multiplexing [2-4] and ultrafast modulators [5]. A critical -but to date elusive -component is an optical buffer that alleviates data packet contention at optical switches by reordering the packets without an optical-to-electronic conversion [6]. Previous efforts addressing this challenge have exploited so-called 'slow light' [7,8], which refers to the reduction in the group velocity of a pulse traversing a selected material [9][10][11][12] or carefully designed photonic structure [13][14][15]. Despite the diversity of their physical embodiments [16], slow-light approaches typically rely on resonant optical effects and are thus limited by a delay-bandwidth product (DBP) on the order of unity.That is, the differential group delay with respect to a reference pulse traveling at c (the speed of light in vacuum) does not exceed the pulse width [17,18], which falls short of the requirements of an optical buffer [19]. Time-varying systems [20] can overcome this limit at the expense of increased implementation complexity. In one realization, a trapdoor mechanism in coupled resonators increases the storage time through externally controlled coupling [21] -but losses concomitantly increase in step with the delay. An alternate approach makes use of non-resonant recycling of orthogonal modes in a cavity [22]. A different strategy relies on transverse spatial structuring to reduce the group velocity in free space, but only a minute reduction below c has been detected to date [23,24]. Nevertheless, theoretical proposals suggest that pushing this approach to the limit may produce sufficiently large differential group delays for an optical buffer [25,26], but temporal spreading is associated with the propagation of these wave packets [27].Finally, a recent theoretical proposal suggests that optical non-reciprocity can help bypass the usual DBP limits [28], but doubts have been cast on this prospect [29,30].An alt...

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“…This is what happened with the discovery of Bessel and Airy beams [1,2], their generalizations to nonlinear media [3,4] and application in diverse areas such as in filamentation and laser-powered material processing [5,6]. In recent years, there is a growing interest in the so-called space-time beams (ST beams) [7][8][9][10][11], wave packets whose diffractionfree behavior relies on suitably coupling the spatial and temporal degrees of freedom rather than on shaping the beam profile. The needed couplings between the spatial and temporal frequencies for diffraction-free propagation at arbitrary propagation velocity in free space and in linear dispersive media are known for some decades, mainly in the context of the so-called localized waves or modes [12][13][14][15], but recent advances in pulse and beam shaping techniques have made possible their practical implementation using spatial light modulators and transparent transmissive phase plates [9][10][11].…”

Section: Many Advances In Linear Optics Open New Lines Of Research Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years, there is a growing interest in the so-called space-time beams (ST beams) [7][8][9][10][11], wave packets whose diffractionfree behavior relies on suitably coupling the spatial and temporal degrees of freedom rather than on shaping the beam profile. The needed couplings between the spatial and temporal frequencies for diffraction-free propagation at arbitrary propagation velocity in free space and in linear dispersive media are known for some decades, mainly in the context of the so-called localized waves or modes [12][13][14][15], but recent advances in pulse and beam shaping techniques have made possible their practical implementation using spatial light modulators and transparent transmissive phase plates [9][10][11]. On the theoretical side, the spatiotemporal shape of these pulsed beam has been shown to reproduce the axial-transversal structure of monochromatic light that experiences diffraction spreading, that is, diffraction appears to be swapped from the longitudinal direction to time [16,17], which is why they are also called time-diffracting beams (TD beams).…”

Section: Many Advances In Linear Optics Open New Lines Of Research Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-trapped pulsed beams with finite power in Kerr media excited by time-diffracting, space-time beams

Porras¹

2018

Opt. Express

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We study the nonlinear propagation of space-time pulsed beams, also known as time-diffracting beams, a recently introduced class of diffraction-free spatiotemporal wave packets whose temporal-transversal structure is that of diffraction in time. We report on the spontaneous formation of propagation-invariant, spatiotemporally compressed pulsed beams carrying finite power from exciting time-diffracting Gaussian beams in media with cubic Kerr nonlinearity at powers below the critical power for collapse, and also with other collapse-arresting nonlinearities above the critical power. Their attraction property makes the experimental observation of the self-trapped pulsed beams in cubic Kerr media feasible. The structure in the temporal and transversal dimensions of the self-trapped wave packets is shown to be the same as the structure in the axial and transversal dimensions of the self-focusing and (arrested) collapse of monochromatic Gaussian beams.

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Synthesizing broadband propagation-invariant space-time wave packets using transmissive phase plates

Cited by 58 publications

References 37 publications

Self-healing of space-time light sheets

Self-healing of space-time light sheets

Demonstration of a Free-Space Optical Delay Line Using Space-Time Wave Packets

Self-trapped pulsed beams with finite power in Kerr media excited by time-diffracting, space-time beams

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