MEMS for femtosecond pulse shaping applications

There are many potential applications for MEMS micromirror devices for femtosecond pulse shaping applications. Their broadband reflectivity gives them an advantage in comparison to devices such as liquid crystal- and acousto-optical modulators because of the possibility to directly shape UV pulses in the range 250 - 400 nm, and thus address UV-absorbing molecules. The identification and discrimination of biomolecules which exhibit almost the same spectra has sparked some interest in the last years as it allows real-time, environmental and optical monitoring. Here, we present the last developments using the Fraunhofer IPMS MEMS phase former capable of accomplishing such goals.