Microaxicons for ultrashort wave packets II MAXWELL II

• Applicant: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Ulrike Wallrabe
• Subject Area: Microsystems
• Term: from 2011 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 200131533

Arrays of piezoelectrically or thermally actuated aspheric micro mirrors are being developed in the MAXWELL II project. They will be evaluated by our partners from the Max-Born-Institute (MBI) in Berlin with regard to their application on ultrashort laser pulses. The basic element is a conical structure -an axicon- which also led to the name of the project. In addition, spiral shaped mirrors and arbitrarily aspheric and non-symmetric shapes will also be investigated with view to their capabilities in adaptive beam shaping.In a first project phase, MAXWELL I, we have already explored diverse actuation and fabrication techniques for such devices. Illuminated with laser light we could generate adaptive Bessel beams with their typical extended focal zone as well as hollow beams with variable angular orbital momentum.In MAXWELL II these concepts shall beconsequently miniaturized and made array compatible. This holds especially true for the piezoelectric actuation.the so far external heating and cooling of the thermal actuation integrated into the system to allow for fast and individual control of each element of an array.the possibilities and limits of arbitrary mirror shapes (asperic, non-symmetric) evaluated for unconventional optical set-upsthe possibility of also producing similar transmissive optical devices instead of purely reflective ones investigated.In total, seven optical systems, at least four of which in an array, shall be developed, manufactured, evaluated and handed over to MBI for further analysis with ultrashort laser pulses.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants