Programmable, direct space-to-time picosecond resolution pulse shaper with nanosecond record

We demonstrate a novel, to the best of our knowledge, extension of optical arbitrary waveform generation capable of picosecond resolution over nanosecond duration. The method, called space–time induced linearly encoded transcription for temporal optimization, is based on direct space-to-time pulse shaping and is extended here to single-mode output with a programmable temporal profile. We develop the theory of operation and discuss ultimate limits on resolution, record length, and efficiency. We report on the results of an experimental demonstration showing ∼1ps resolution over 600 ps.