In situ tomography of femtosecond optical beams with a holographic knife-edge

Abstract

We present an in situ beam characterization technique to analyze femtosecond optical beams in a folded version of a 2f-2f setup. This technique makes use of a two-dimensional spatial light modulator (SLM) to holographically redirect radiation between different diffraction orders. This manipulation of light between diffraction orders is carried out locally within the beam. Because SLMs can withstand intensities of up to I~10^11 W/cm, this makes them suitable for amplified femtosecond radiation. The flexibility of the SLM was demonstrated by producing a diverse assortment of "soft apertures" that are mechanically difficult or impossible to reproduce. We test our method by holographically knife-edging and tomographically reconstructing both continuous wave and broadband radiation in transverse optical modes.