6533b828fe1ef96bd128859b

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Dynamical binary modulation of ultrabroadband light beams by using principal states of polarization of liquid crystal devices

subject

description

Dynamical modulation of ultrabroadband beams, such as those produced by femtosecond laser or incoherent sources, is not an easy task due to the dispersive nature of the devices commonly employed. Phase modulation has been performed by means of deformable micromirror arrays. These devices are expensive and do not permit amplitude modulation. For micro- and nano-structuring of materials with femtosecond lasers is common to pattern the surface with the light irradiance produced by a computer generated hologram implemented onto a liquid crystal (LC) type spatial light modulator. This enables dynamical patterning [1,2]. Reduced spectral bandwidths, of the order of tens of nanometers, have been used up to now. Here, we introduce a technique that allows precise dynamical binary amplitude modulation of beams with bandwidths exceeding a hundred of nanometers by means of LC technology.