LASER-BEAM ALIGNMENT DEVICES FOR ULTRASHORT PULSES

We describe two novel devices for optical beam alignment. One allows for a variable angle, fixed position of incidence upon a target. The other allows for a variable position, fixed angle of incidence upon a target. Cascaded together, these devices allow placement of a laser beam upon a sample with arbitrary angle and arbitrary position of incidence. These devices are particularly useful for experiments and applications involving ultrashort pulses since the time of flight through either of these devices is a constant independent of the angle of incidence and position of incidence.