Ultrabroad-band variable-wavelength wavelength-multiplexed pulse waveform shaping device

Abstract

An ultra-broadband, variable and multiple wavelength, waveform shaping apparatus is disclosed that excels with the ability to yield light pulses shaped in waveform, variable and multiple in wavelength over an ultra-broad bandwidth, the pulses being as short as in the order of pico-seconds or less, or even in the order of femto-seconds. The apparatus includes a light source ( ) for a light pulse, an ultra-broadband light pulse generating unit ( ) for producing from a light pulse, an ultra-broadband light pulse beam, a beam expander ( ) for spatially expanding the beam in one direction (along the y-axis) in its cross section, and a wavelength dispersive unit ( ) for dispersing wavelengths of light beam pulse while further spatially expanding the expanded beam along the x-axis, a two-dimensional spatial amplitude modulator ( ) for selecting wavelength bands varying in center frequency along the y-axis, a two-dimensional space phase amplifier ( ) for modulating a plurality of lights selected by wavelengths into different phases, and a beam reducing and waveform shaping unit ( ) for reducing so phase modulated light beam pulse components along the x-axis while shaping them into desired waveforms, whereby multiple wavelength light pulses are formed, which have center their wavelengths varying along the y-axis and waveforms shaped independently of each other and as desired.