Full vector-field control of ultrashort laser pulses utilizing a single dual-layer spatial light modulator in a common-path setup

Abstract

We present a design for shaping femtosecond laser pulses in amplitude, phase, and polarization by manipulating two perpendicular polarization components in two arms of an interferometric common-path setup. A thin-film polarizer is used for polarization splitting and recombination to avoid angular dispersion and phase variations across the beam profile. We demonstrate how the optimal design parameters can be found by numerical calculations and present an on-the-fly phase reduction and stabilization routine to automatically compress the pulse and improve the long-term stability of the setup. Examples of deterministically generated polarization-shaped multipulse sequences prove the capabilities of the setup.