Linearly polarized picosecond pulse shaping with variable profiles by a birefringent shaper

This paper describes the demonstration of linearly polarized picosecond pulse shaping with variable profiles including symmetric and non-symmetric intensity distributions. Important characteristics such as stability and transmission were studied, resulting in highly reliable performance of this fan-type birefringent shaping system. This variable temporal shaping technique is applicable over a wide range of laser parameters and may lead to new opportunities for many potential applications. A new double-pass variable temporal shaping method that significantly reduces the required crystal quantity is also proposed in this paper.