Abstract

Fourier-transform pulse shaping is the most widely adopted technique for optical pulse shaping, in which shaping is achieved via parallel modulation of spatially separated frequencies without requiring an ultrafast modulator [1]. Recently, dielectric metasurfaces have emerged as a powerful technology for arbitrary control over the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light in a single, compact optical element [2,3]. Here, we offer the first experimental demonstration of femtosecond pulse shaping using a centimetre-scale silicon metasurface acting as both amplitude and phase modulation mask simultaneously. Expanding metasurfaces into the realm of time-domain manipulation will amplify the already significant impact of their application as two-dimensional wavefront shapers, and open new vistas in the field of ultrafast science and technology.

© 2019 IEEE