Correcting astigmatism and ellipticity in Gaussian beams using a cylindrical lens pair with tunable focal lengths Soroush Khoubyarian, Anastasiia Mashko, Alexandre Cooper Optics Express, 2025 Correcting astigmatism and ellipticity in laser beams is critical for improving performance in many applications like microscopy, atomic physics, quantum information processing, and advanced manufacturing. Passive correction methods based on cylindrical lens telescopes require choosing lenses with precise focal lengths, effectively limiting the range of tunability when using standard catalog optics. Active solutions based on diffractive optical elements can achieve superior performance and dynamic response, but they are bulky, expensive, and suffer from finite diffraction efficiency and added complexity. Here, we introduce a simple method to convert astigmatic elliptical beams into circular Gaussian beams without astigmatism. Our method comprises three cylindrical lenses. The first lens focuses the beam along its major axis to create a plane where the intensity profile is radially symmetric. The second and third lenses are placed one behind the other in that plane at a relative angle, acting as a biaxial lens pair with tunable focal lengths. By adjusting the relative angle of the lenses, the two separate beam waists of the astigmatic beam can be overlapped, resulting in a circular Gaussian beam without astigmatism. We theoretically validate our method, numerically quantify its robustness to experimental imperfections, and experimentally demonstrate its ability to circularize the output beam of a commercial laser source. Compared to SLM-based approaches, our design is significantly more compact and cost-effective, with component prices comparable to standard lenses and dimensions suitable for integration into tabletop optical paths. Its performance is ultimately limited by the validity of the paraxial approximation (breaking down for beam sizes comparable to the wavelength), the finite inter-lens distance between the second and third lenses, and the inability of cylindrical lenses to address higher-order aberrations. Its simple and compact design makes it well-suited for both laboratory and industrial optical systems.
Atom femtosecond optical trap based on spectrally filtered laser radiation A.M. Mashko, A.A. Meysterson, A.E. Afanasiev, V.I. Balykin Quantum Electronics, 2020 We have examined the use of alkali metal (rubidium) vapour for spectral filtering of broadband pulsed laser light that is used to produce a femtosecond pulsed optical dipole trap. It has been shown that, even at large detuning of the centre emission frequency from the frequency of atomic transitions, spectral components present in the wings of the laser emission line are capable of heating localised atoms, thus reducing their lifetime in the atomic trap. Using atomic vapour for filtering the laser emission spectrum, we have suppressed its spectral components resulting in heating. This has made it possible to increase the lifetime of atoms in the pulsed optical dipole trap to a value comparable to their lifetime in an optical trap formed by narrow-band cw laser light.
Spectroscopy of Rubidium Atoms in a Femtosecond Pulsed Optical Dipole Trap A. E. Afanasiev, A. M. Mashko, A. A. Meysterson, V. I. Balykin JETP Letters, 2020 The spectral properties of atoms localized in an optical dipole trap formed by femtosecond pulsed radiation are studied experimentally. It is shown that the shift of the absorption line of an atom due to the interaction of an atom with the field of localizing radiation coincides with the shift of the line of an atom localized in the field of cw laser radiation. Theoretical analysis shows that pulsed radiation with experimentally achievable average intensity and duration of a pulse makes it possible to implement an atom localization mode in which the line shift is absent.
Spectroscopy of atoms in an optical dipole trap using spectrally selective heating by a probe laser field A.E. Afanasiev, A.M. Mashko, A.A. Meysterson, V.I. Balykin Quantum Electronics, 2020 Spectral properties of atoms localised in an optical dipole trap are studied using the method of spectrally selective heating by a probe field. The method is based on measuring the number of atoms in a trap after they interact with a probe field. The dependence of the number of atoms on the frequency of the probe field fully characterises the shift and width of the spectral absorption line of trapped atoms.
Atom femto trap: experimental realization Anton E. Afanasiev, Anna A. Meysterson, Anastasiia M. Mashko, Pavel N. Melentiev, Victor I. Balykin Applied Physics B Lasers and Optics, 2020
Interaction of Phase-Modulated Femtosecond Pulses with an Optically Dense Quasi-Resonant Medium of Rubidium Vapors S. N. Bagaev, A. A. Preobrazhenskaya, N. A. Timofeev, A. A. Pastor, I. B. Mekhov, I. A. Chekhonin, P. Yu. Serdobintsev, V. S. Egorov, M. A. Chekhonin, A. M. Mashko Optics and Spectroscopy English Translation of Optika I Spektroskopiya, 2018 Abstract For the first time, it is demonstrated that the magnitude and sign of the effect of “spectral condensation” of a laser pulse at the resonant-transition frequency of a dense medium can be controlled by changing the driving-pulse parameters (chirp, pulse width, and pulse amplitude). In the process of this, importantly, the driving-pulse energy and spectrum remain unchanged. Direct time-resolved measurements revealed an oscillatory character of the induced superradiance of rubidium vapors representing a long train of decaying short pulses. The width and repetition rate of the pulses in the train are determined by atomic density N0 of the medium, while the width of an entire superradiance pulse (10 ps) is considerably larger than that of the driving laser pulse (50 fs).
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Correcting astigmatism and ellipticity in Gaussian beams using a cylindrical lens pair with tunable focal lengths S Khoubyarian, A Mashko, A Cooper Optics Express 33 (22), 47292-47320 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Improving the Performance of Rydberg Atom Array Quantum Simulators through Low-Latency Feedback Control Systems S Khoubyarian, A Zhutov, A Mashko, C Wyenberg, K Ueno, A Cooper-Roy APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts 2024 … , 2024 2024
Programmable quantum simulators for materials discovery K Ueno, P Padia, A Zhutov, A Mashko, C Wyenberg, A Cooper-Roy APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts 2023 … , 2023 2023
Atom femto trap: experimental realization and its spectroscopic perspectives AE Afanasiev, AA Kortel, AM Mashko, PN Melentiev, VI Balykin 2021
Atom femtosecond optical trap based on spectrally filtered laser radiation AM Mashko, AA Meysterson, AE Afanasiev, VI Balykin Quantum Electronics 50 (6), 530 , 2020 2020 Citations: 7
Spectroscopy of Rubidium Atoms in a Femtosecond Pulsed Optical Dipole Trap AE Afanasiev, AM Mashko, AA Meysterson, VI Balykin JETP Letters 111 (11), 608-612 , 2020 2020 Citations: 7
Spectroscopy of atoms in an optical dipole trap using spectrally selective heating by a probe laser field AE Afanasiev, AM Mashko, AA Meysterson, VI Balykin Quantum Electronics 50 (3), 206 , 2020 2020 Citations: 3
Atom femto trap: experimental realization AE Afanasiev, AA Meysterson, AM Mashko, PN Melentiev, VI Balykin Applied Physics B 126 (2), 26 , 2020 2020 Citations: 11
Spectroscopy of rubidium atoms in a femtosecond pulsed optical dipole trap AE Afanas' ev, AM Mashko, AA Meysterson, VI Balykin Pis' ma v Zhurnal Èksperimental'noi i Teoreticheskoi Fiziki 111 (11), 757-762 , 2020 2020
Interaction of Phase-Modulated Femtosecond Pulses with an Optically Dense Quasi-Resonant Medium of Rubidium Vapors SN Bagaev, AA Preobrazhenskaya, NA Timofeev, AA Pastor, IB Mekhov, ... Optics and Spectroscopy 125 (5), 667-672 , 2018 2018 Citations: 4
Interaction of phase-modulated femtosecond pulses with an optically dense quasi-resonant medium of rubidium vapors SN Bagayev, AA Preobrazhenskaya, NA Timofeev, AA Pastor, IB Mekhov, ... Optics and Spectroscopy 125 (5), 635-640 , 2018 2018
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Atom femto trap: experimental realization AE Afanasiev, AA Meysterson, AM Mashko, PN Melentiev, VI Balykin Applied Physics B 126 (2), 26 , 2020 2020 Citations: 11
Atom femtosecond optical trap based on spectrally filtered laser radiation AM Mashko, AA Meysterson, AE Afanasiev, VI Balykin Quantum Electronics 50 (6), 530 , 2020 2020 Citations: 7
Spectroscopy of Rubidium Atoms in a Femtosecond Pulsed Optical Dipole Trap AE Afanasiev, AM Mashko, AA Meysterson, VI Balykin JETP Letters 111 (11), 608-612 , 2020 2020 Citations: 7
Interaction of Phase-Modulated Femtosecond Pulses with an Optically Dense Quasi-Resonant Medium of Rubidium Vapors SN Bagaev, AA Preobrazhenskaya, NA Timofeev, AA Pastor, IB Mekhov, ... Optics and Spectroscopy 125 (5), 667-672 , 2018 2018 Citations: 4
Spectroscopy of atoms in an optical dipole trap using spectrally selective heating by a probe laser field AE Afanasiev, AM Mashko, AA Meysterson, VI Balykin Quantum Electronics 50 (3), 206 , 2020 2020 Citations: 3
Correcting astigmatism and ellipticity in Gaussian beams using a cylindrical lens pair with tunable focal lengths S Khoubyarian, A Mashko, A Cooper Optics Express 33 (22), 47292-47320 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Improving the Performance of Rydberg Atom Array Quantum Simulators through Low-Latency Feedback Control Systems S Khoubyarian, A Zhutov, A Mashko, C Wyenberg, K Ueno, A Cooper-Roy APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts 2024 … , 2024 2024
Programmable quantum simulators for materials discovery K Ueno, P Padia, A Zhutov, A Mashko, C Wyenberg, A Cooper-Roy APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts 2023 … , 2023 2023
Atom femto trap: experimental realization and its spectroscopic perspectives AE Afanasiev, AA Kortel, AM Mashko, PN Melentiev, VI Balykin 2021
Spectroscopy of rubidium atoms in a femtosecond pulsed optical dipole trap AE Afanas' ev, AM Mashko, AA Meysterson, VI Balykin Pis' ma v Zhurnal Èksperimental'noi i Teoreticheskoi Fiziki 111 (11), 757-762 , 2020 2020
Interaction of phase-modulated femtosecond pulses with an optically dense quasi-resonant medium of rubidium vapors SN Bagayev, AA Preobrazhenskaya, NA Timofeev, AA Pastor, IB Mekhov, ... Optics and Spectroscopy 125 (5), 635-640 , 2018 2018
