Control of terahertz pulse generation by optical pulse shaping

We present the use of a programmable optical pulse-shaper based on a liquid crystal amplitude and phase modulator to control the production of terahertz pulses in a ZnTe crystal. A genetic algorithm is used to optimize the pump pulse shape for a desired outcome, avoiding the need for prior knowledge of the required optical pulse shape. As an example we demonstrate the introduction of spectral holes at selected frequencies. This spectral application provides a purely optical means of emulating a physical terahertz filter.