Abstract: A device for the temporal shaping of the amplitude and phase of ultrashort pulses, includes: —a birefringent waveguide 1 of main axis ? consisting of a nematic liquid crystal 2 located between a photoconductive material 3 and a substrate 4, —two transparent electrodes, one of which 5 is located between the nematic liquid crystal 2 and the substrate 4, and the other 6 such that the photoconductive material 3 is located between the other electrode 6 and the nematic liquid crystal 2, and —projection optics 7 for projecting a programmable optical mask 8 onto the photoconductive material 3.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for compensating the temporary scattering applied to the generation of ultra-short light pulses, said device including two identical and parallel optical diffraction gratings RA, RB and two identical prisms PA, PB that are placed inside the above-mentioned optical diffraction gratings RA, RB, given that the above-mentioned optical diffraction gratings RA, RB are volume phase gratings that function, during transmission, on the principle of Bragg diffraction. The outer surfaces FeA, FeB of the above-mentioned prisms PA, PB are parallel to the above-mentioned optical diffraction gratings RA, RB, and the inner surfaces FiA, FiB of the above-mentioned prisms PA, PB are parallel therebetween.

Abstract: A device for the temporal shaping of the amplitude and phase of ultrashort pulses, includes: a birefringent waveguide 1 of main axis ? consisting of a nematic liquid crystal 2 located between a photoconductive material 3 and a substrate 4, two transparent electrodes, one of which 5 is located between the nematic liquid crystal 2 and the substrate 4, and the other 6 such that the photoconductive material 3 is located between the other electrode 6 and the nematic liquid crystal 2, and projection optics 7 for projecting a programmable optical mask 8 onto the photoconductive material 3.

Abstract: A device for compensating time dispersions applied to the generation of ultra-short pulses, includes: two transparent optical diffraction gratings (RA, RB), which are identical and parallel to each other, operating on the principle of the Bragg diffraction, and two identical prisms (PA, PB), placed head to tail, in the space separating the optical diffraction gratings (RA, RB), knowing that the outer faces (FeA, FeB) of the prisms are parallel to each other and form a non-zero angle (?) with the faces of the optical diffraction gratings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for compensating the temporary scattering applied to the generation of ultra-short light pulses, said device including two identical and parallel optical diffraction gratings RA, RB and two identical prisms PA, PB that are placed inside the above-mentioned optical diffraction gratings RA, RB, given that the above-mentioned optical diffraction gratings RA, RB are volume phase gratings that function, during transmission, on the principle of Bragg diffraction. The outer surfaces FeA, FeB of the above-mentioned prisms PA, PB are parallel to the above-mentioned optical diffraction gratings RA, RB, and the inner surfaces FiA, FiB of the above-mentioned prisms PA, PB are parallel therebetween.

Abstract: A method and a device for acousto-optic filtering with large optic and acoustic interaction length; includes the use of a birefringent acousto-optic crystal whereof the sound wave propagation speed is as low as possible, this acousto-optical crystal including, on one of its faces, a piezoelectric transducer intended to generate a transverse sound wave whereof the energy propagates collinearly to the energy of an incident light wave, all along the path of the incident light wave, in the aforementioned birefringent acousto-optic crystal, knowing that the transverse sound wave and the incident light wave travel a path including multiple reflections on one or the other of the reflective faces of the birefringent acousto-optic crystal perpendicular to the axes of symmetry shared by the acoustic slownesses curve and the curves of the ordinary and extraordinary optical indices of the acousto-optic crystal.

Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is a method of high-resolution acousto-optic programmable filtering in the infrared region of an incident optical wave. To that end it proposes the use of a birefringent acousto-optic crystal whereof the propagation speed of acoustic waves is slow, such as compounds of mercury, which acousto-optic crystal comprises, on one of its faces, a piezoelectric transducer designed to generate a transverse acoustic wave with wave vector whereof the energy propagates according to the same axis but in the opposite direction to the energy of the incident optical wave, knowing that the optical wave resulting from the acousto-optic interaction between the incident optical wave and the acoustic wave with wave vector is diffracted perpendicularly or almost perpendicularly to the direction of the incident optical wave.

Abstract: Device for adaptation of a programmable generator of ultra short wide spectral band light pulses, to long narrow spectral band light pulses comprising a laser source (1) of ultra-short wide spectral band pulses, a device (2) for dispersion of ultra-short pulses output from said laser source (1), a first non-linear optical mixer (4) to mix long modulated pulses output from said dispersion device (2) with long quasi-monochromatic signals output from a pure frequency pump laser (3), a generator (5) of wide spectral band light pulses placed on a first channel (V1), a second non-linear optical mixer (6) to mix the channel output from said generator (5) and a second channel (V2) emerging from said first non-linear optical mixer (4).

Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is a method of high-resolution acousto-optic programmable filtering in the infrared region of an incident optical wave. To that end it proposes the use of a birefringent acousto-optic crystal whereof the propagation speed of acoustic waves is slow, such as compounds of mercury, which acousto-optic crystal comprises, on one of its faces, a piezoelectric transducer designed to generate a transverse acoustic wave with wave vector whereof the energy propagates according to the same axis but in the opposite direction to the energy of the incident optical wave, knowing that the optical wave resulting from the acousto-optic interaction between the incident optical wave and the acoustic wave with wave vector is diffracted perpendicularly or almost perpendicularly to the direction of the incident optical wave.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for controlling the amplitude of the wavelength spectrum of ultra-short light pulses emitted by multipass laser amplifiers. According to the invention, a programmable acousto-optic device (8) is introduced into a laser cavity of a multipass amplifier (10), in order to modify slightly the amplitude of the spectrum of the light pulse with each passage, owing to a collinear or quasi-collinear interaction between the light pulse and a sound beam, the result from the filtering being used on the non-diffracted direct light beam from the acousto-optic interaction.

Abstract: Device for dispersion of light pulses of an optical beam constituted by two dispersive prisms with the same vertex angle, mounted head to tail, the optical input surface of the first prism being parallel to the optical output surface of the second prism, the distance separating the optical input surface of the first prism and the optical output surface of the second prism being adjustable, given that the material constituting at least one of the first and second prisms is an acousto-optic material allowing for acousto-optic interaction between the optical beam and an acoustic beam, the acoustic wave of the acoustic beam generating, in at least one of the first and second prisms, an integrated deflective Bragg cell.

Abstract: A method for measuring ultrashort light pulse which comprises a first step of linear optical filtering of the signal for which it is desired to measure the amplitude of the pulses by means of an acoustic interaction between the optical signal and a colinear or quasi-colinear acoustic beam, a second step of either mixing in a non-linear response electro-optical element of optical beams diffracted by the acoustic beam, followed by one detector for detecting the light intensity derived from the mixer, or effecting one integration detection of the square of the optical intensity diffracted by the acoustic beam.

Abstract: Device for dispersion of light pulses of an optical beam (Fi) constituted by two dispersive prisms (P1, P2), with the same vertex angle (?), mounted head to tail, the optical input surface of the first prism (P1) being parallel to the optical output surface of the second prism (P2), the distance (L) separating said optical input surface of the first prism (P1) and said optical output surface of the second prism (P2) being adjustable, given that the material constituting at least one of said first and second prisms (P1, P2) is an acousto-optic material allowing for acousto-optic interaction between said optical beam and an acoustic beam, the acoustic wave of said acoustic beam generating, in at least one of said first and second prisms (P1, P2), an integrated deflective Bragg cell.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for controlling the amplitude of the wavelength spectrum of ultra-short light pulses emitted by multipass laser amplifiers. According to the invention, a programmable acousto-optic device (8) is introduced into a laser cavity of a multipass amplifier (10), in order to modify slightly the amplitude of the spectrum of the light pulse with each passage, owing to a collinear or quasi-collinear interaction between the light pulse and a sound beam, the result from the filtering being used on the non-diffracted direct light beam from the acousto-optic interaction.

Abstract: The inventive acoustic filter comprises two solid bodies (1, 2), at least one of which is piezoelectric. Said bodies are interconnected in such a way as to form a plane interface (3) between them, acoustic waves being generated by the piezoelectric body by means of an electrical field and being guided by the plane interface between the two solid bodies. The solid bodies are selected wish the objective of ensuring that the acoustic energy of said waves decreases exponentially in the two bodies in a perpendicular direction (Oy) to the interface, starting from the interface.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device comprising a birefringent elasto-optic medium (1) equipped with a transducer (5) generating in the medium (1) a modulated acoustic wave along a specific direction, and means for coupling in the medium (1) an input optical wave with unknown polarisation, and a programming circuit for (amplitude-phase-frequency) modulation of the acoustic wave. Said device supplies a direct wave and two perpendicular diffracted waves of H, V polarisation each bearing a modulation based on the input optical wave modulation and the acoustic wave modulation.

Abstract: The e method of the invention consists of carrying out:

Abstract: A programmable acoustooptic device including an elastooptic medium configured to receive an input optical pulse and an acoustic wave; an acoustic transducer configured to generate the acoustic wave in the elastooptic medium along a defined direction; and a programmable circuit coupled to the acoustic transducer and configured to program at least one of a frequency modulation and phase modulation of the acoustic wave, whereby the acoustic transducer generates a modulated acoustic wave, wherein an output optical pulse is generated and is a convolution of the input optical pulse with the modulated acoustic signal.

Abstract: A system for the control of light beams includes a beam splitter placed on the path of the beam to be controlled and deriving a measurement beam from this beam; a detection device receiving the measurement beam and measuring the shape of the wave front of the measurement beam; a wave-front shape correction device placed on the path of the beam to be controlled, activated by the detection device and correcting the shape of the wave front of the beam to be controlled. The detection device includes a light spatial modulator providing for the selective transmission of the portions of the measurement beam; a focusing device receiving the different portions of the measurement beam; a series of photodetectors placed along the focusing plane of the focusing device; a device for the identification of the photodetector or photodetectors, detecting a light wave and computing the shape of the wave front as a function of the photodetectors identified.

Abstract: A device for linearly extending the duration of laser light pulses by subjecting the pulses to double diffraction based on a series of variable step gratings placed at right angles to each other. Increased power density is obtained by placing a compression grating at an angle such that each wavelength of light emerging from the compression grating travels an optical path of approximately the same distance, and focusing the emerging light with a lens. Increased amplification is obtained by placing a segmented laser amplifier, one segment aligned with each wavelength of light separated by the double diffraction of the series of variable step gratings and interposed between the series of variable step gratings and the compression grating.