Abstract

Space-time wave packets (STWPs) are pulsed fields in which a strictly prescribed association between the spatial and temporal frequencies yields surprising and useful behavior. However, STWPs to date have been synthesized using bulky free-space optical systems that require precise alignment. We describe a compact system that makes use of a novel optical component: a chirped volume Bragg grating that is rotated by 45° with respect to the plane-parallel device facets. By virtue of this grating’s unique structure, cascaded gratings resolve and recombine the spectrum without free-space propagation or collimation. We produce STWPs by placing a phase plate that spatially modulates the resolved spectrum between such cascaded gratings, with a device volume of 25 × 25 × 8 mm³, which is orders-of-magnitude smaller than previous arrangements.

© 2023 Optica Publishing Group

Vector space-time wave packets

Murat Yessenov, Zhaozhong Chen, Martin P. J. Lavery, and Ayman F. Abouraddy
Opt. Lett. 47(16) 4131-4134 (2022)

Rotated chirped volume Bragg gratings for compact spectral analysis

Oussama Mhibik, Murat Yessenov, Lam Mach, Leonid Glebov, Ayman F. Abouraddy, and Ivan Divliansky
Opt. Lett. 48(5) 1180-1183 (2023)

Space-time wave packets with both arbitrary transverse and longitudinal accelerations

Zehong Liang, Yejin Liu, Yingjun Luo, Hechong Chen, and Dongmei Deng
Opt. Lett. 48(10) 2543-2546 (2023)

Space-time wave packets

Murat Yessenov, Layton A. Hall, Kenneth L. Schepler, and Ayman F. Abouraddy
Adv. Opt. Photon. 14(3) 455-570 (2022)

Arbitrarily accelerating space-time wave packets

Layton A. Hall, Murat Yessenov, and Ayman F. Abouraddy
Opt. Lett. 47(3) 694-697 (2022)