Adaptive optics for ultrashort pulse manipulation

Shaping of femtosecond light pulses is typically performed in the frequency domain, by manipulation of the pulse spectral intensity and phase. One tool for phase control uses a deformable mirror in the Fourier plane of a 4-f stretcher. In this work we show the ability of adaptive optics to shape femtosecond pulses. By including the shaper and the characterization block in a closed loop, it is possible to correct spectral phase distortions accumulated in an optical chain in few automatic iterations.