Experimental demonstration of temporal-waveform-controlled spatial routing of optical beams by spatial-spectral filtering

We present what is to our knowledge the first experimental demonstration of temporal-waveform-controlled spatial routing of optical beams. In our simple implementation of the routing process, a single optical beam consisting of a train of temporally structured optical pulses generates a number of directionally distinct output beams-a separate output beam for each distinct temporal waveform present in the input beam. This redirection is effected through diffraction from spatial-spectral gratings preprogrammed into a frequency-selective material. (C) 1995 Optical Society of America