Dynamic space-time wave packets (Keynote Presentation)

A beam’s spatial distribution can be structured in terms of its amplitude and phase, and the transverse and longitudinal distribution can be tailored by an appropriate transmission of orthogonal modes. Interestingly, a space-time wave packet (STWP) with a dynamically varying spatial structure can be produced by simultaneously transmitting multiple lines of an optical frequency comb, such that each frequency line has a tailorable spatial modal combination. This presentation will highlight light fields whose transverse and longitudinal properties can be designed to vary with time and thus have dynamic behavior. Specifically, STWPs can have spatiotemporal evolution that is arbitrarily engineered to occur at any given propagation distance in the transverse dimension as well as at various distances along the longitudinal propagation path. This can be achieved by introducing a 2-D spectrum comprising both temporal and longitudinal wavenumbers, resulting in packets evolving in time and distance. This presentation will discuss various beam properties that can dynamically evolve, including: rotation and revolution, radius, amplitude, phase, polarization, and mode number.