Microoptical processing and shaping of ultrashort pulses

Microoptics offers interesting solutions for the processing and shaping of optical signals consisting of femtosecond pulses. Since one can operate either in the spectral or in the time domain, a variety of implementations exists. As an example for the spectral filtering, we demonstrate an integrated pulse shaper using far-field grating diffraction. For fabrication, ultraprecision micromachining was used. As examples for operating in the time domain, we present two approaches for the implementation of optical tapped delay lines. One is based on the use of optical near-field diffraction and the self-imaging effect. The second uses a linear retroreflector array which is demonstrated as a variable temporal beam splitter.