Vector-field femtosecond laser beam shaping using a DMD

Polarization modulation plays a crucial role in various optical applications, e.g., microscopic imaging, optical communication, quantum optics, and remote sensing etc. In this work, we present a digital micromirror device (DMD)-based approach to modulate the polarization of a femtosecond laser at the DMD's pattern rate, i.e., 4.2 kHz. Femtosecond laser pulses have been widely known for their ultrafast temporal characteristics and unique ability to induce complex nonlinear optical effects. Our work employs a DMD to realize efficient and versatile polarization modulation, surpassing conventional methods, e.g., liquid crystal-based spatial light modulator, in terms of both speed and cost.