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Science 17 January 2003:
Vol. 299. no. 5605, pp. 374 - 377
DOI: 10.1126/science.1078726
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Reports

Spatiotemporal Coherent Control of Lattice Vibrational Waves

T. Feurer, Joshua C. Vaughan, Keith A. Nelson*

We achieved automated optical control over coherent lattice responses that were both time- and position-dependent across macroscopic length scales. In our experiments, spatiotemporal femtosecond pulse shaping was used to generate excitation light fields that were directed toward distinct regions of crystalline samples, producing terahertz-frequency lattice vibrational waves that emanated outward from their multiple origins at lightlike speeds. Interferences among the waves resulted in fully specified far-field responses, including tilted, focusing, or amplified wavefronts. Generation and coherent amplification of terahertz traveling waves and terahertz phased-array generation also were demonstrated.

Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)