Reflective holographic phase masks for spatial beam shaping

Abstract

Transmissive holographic phase masks – i.e., complex phase-structures embedded into the volume of transmissive Bragg gratings – have been shown to possess a high degree of achromatism, uniquely suited for applications utilizing broadband optical-sources. Here we report on the holographic construction of their reflective counterpart in photo-thermo-refractive glass, operating as tunable narrowband spectral filters that simultaneously provide phase incursion for spatial beam-transformation. Such an element is further employed in a linear, wavelength-tunable, continuous-wave Yb3+:KYW laser for intracavity beam-shaping.