Adams, Daniel E.Goldberger, David2023-10-302023-10-302023https://hdl.handle.net/11124/178505Includes bibliographical references.2023 Spring.Ultrafast lasers are exciting tools that provide novel opportunities in science and industry. Ultrafast lasers are fundamentally four-dimensional, since at every point in three-dimensional space an ultrafast laser may have a different temporal profile. As such, ultrafast lasers can only be accurately described in the spatiotemporal (space and time) or spatiospectral (space and frequency) domains. Spatiotemporal couplings complicate measurement and manipulation of ultrafast lasers, but they can also be exploited for novel applications, if they can be controlled. This thesis summarizes our work applying a computational imaging technique called Ptychography to ultrafast laser metrology. The culmination of our work is the demonstration of single-pulse, reference-free, full-field spatiotemporal characterization of ultrafast pulse-beams. This thesis also details two precursor techniques: spatiospectral characterization with scanning multiplexed broadband ptychography, and single-pulse, reference-free, full-field spatiospectral characterization with broadband single-shot ptychography. The techniques we demonstrate are ideal for ultrafast pulse-beam metrology. Improving our ability to measure ultrafast lasers will enhance our ability to control them. Optimizing the intensity of an ultrafast laser requires focusing it to the minimum possible spatiotemporal volume, which necessitates minimizing couplings. On the other hand, spatiotemporal couplings provide new dimensions of control over ultrafast lasers, which can lead to novel applications. Ultimately spatiotemporal characterization of utlrafast lasers is necessary whether couplings are to be mitigate or exploited. Our approach is to unite the fields of ptychography and ultrafast lasers, by applying ptychography to spatiotemporal characterization.born digitaldoctoral dissertationsengCopyright of the original work is retained by the author.computational imaginglaser metrologymultiplexingptychographyspatiotemporalultrafastText2023-10-18Embargo Expires: 04/18/2024