GEOMETRIC-OPTICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF A WAVE-FRONT EXPERIMENTAL REALIZATION WITH FEMTOSECOND LASER-PULSES

The mechanism of wavefront reconstruction by geometric-optical reflect ion of reconstruction radiation from surfaces with constant phase diff erences between the object and reference waves has been investigated. The main difference between this mechanism and a holographic one is th e absence of diffraction of the reconstructing radiation by the period ic structure and as a consequence the achromatism of the reconstructio n process. Incoherent continuous radiation and ultrashort laser pulses were used in the experiments. The effect of achromatic reconstruction has been obtained after recording the interference of counterpropagat ing 30-40 fs pulses from an Al2O3:Ti3+ laser in bulk media. (C) 1998 P ublished by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.