Patent ID: 7430071
Filing Date: 2008-09-30
Classification: G02F,H01S

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for shaping an optical pulse, comprising: a dispersive optical element, an optical delay line having a selectively variable optical path length, and a spatial light modulator; and wherein the dispersive optical element, the optical delay line, and the spatial light modulator are configured and arranged such that the optical pulse is received by the dispersive optical element and dispersed into spectral components of the pulse in one transverse axis of the apparatus, the dispersed components are collimated in the optical delay line and are delivered to the spatial light modulator, the collimated spectral components are selectively modulated by the spatial light modulator and return from the spatial light modulator back through the optical delay line, and the selectively modulated spectral components are focused by the optical delay line onto the dispersive optical element, and are recombined by the dispersive optical element to form a shaped output pulse.