Abstract

We report on a space–time compression technique allowing for complete and independent control of the longitudinal dynamics and of the transverse pulse localization by means of spatial beam shaping. We experimentally observe both strong temporal compression and high transverse localization, of the order of a few wavelengths, along free-space propagation.

© 2010 Optical Society of America

Designer pulsed beams for enhanced space–time focusing

Richard W. Ziolkowski and David B. Davidson
Opt. Lett. 19(4) 284-286 (1994)

Space–time focusing of femtosecond pulses in a Ti:sapphire laser

Ivan P. Christov, Henry C. Kapteyn, Margaret M. Murnane, Chung-Po Huang, and Jianping Zhou
Opt. Lett. 20(3) 309-311 (1995)

Nonlinear space-time focusing and filamentation of annular femtosecond pulses in dielectrics

Thomas E. Lanier and Jeremy R. Gulley
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 33(2) 292-301 (2016)

Space–time focusing in a highly multimode fiber via optical pulse shaping

Bohao Liu and Andrew M. Weiner
Opt. Lett. 43(19) 4675-4678 (2018)

Space–time focusing: breakdown of the slowly varying envelope approximation in the self-focusing of femtosecond pulses

Joshua E. Rothenberg
Opt. Lett. 17(19) 1340-1342 (1992)