Adaptive wavefront diagnostics of ultrashort pulses with programmable microaxicons

LCoS-SLM-based Shack-Hartmann sensors with programmable nondiffracting sub-beams enable for a flexible analysis of ultrashort wavepackets in reflection, at oblique angles, large working distances and with improved recognition reliability. This represents essential progress for ultrashort pulse wavefront analysis, in particular in combination with temporal resolution. Compared to established "complete" measuring techniques, 2D autocorrelation keeps more vulnerable with respect to phase unambiguity. Wavefront division approaches, however, extend the repertory of techniques for pulse diagnostics towards a real two-dimensional mapping with the option of single pulse operation and without the necessity to generate reference waves.