Fig. 1. Setup and principle for generating spatiotemporal Airy wavepackets. (a) Generation and measurement system: mode-locked fiber laser (green background), temporal modulation module (blue background), and spatial modulation module (yellow background). LD, laser diode; WDM, wavelength division multiplexer; EDF, erbium-doped fiber; OC, optical coupler; PI-ISO, polarization insensitive isolator; SA, saturable absorber; PC, polarization controller; PPS, programmable pulse shaper; SLM, spatial light modulator; LCPP, liquid crystal phase plate. (b) Formation principle of spatiotemporal Airy wavepackets.

Fig. 2. Experimental and simulation results of Airy pulses. (a), (b) Spectrum and temporal profile of the output pulse from the fiber laser [the inserts show the frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) spectrograms]. (c), (d) Cubic frequency phases and measured profiles of Airy pulses. (e), (f) Cubic frequency phases and simulated profiles of Airy pulses. The inserts show the Airy pulses with a quadratic phase.

Fig. 3. Evolution of Airy pulses with cubic frequency phases. (a), (b) Pulse profiles modulated via different cubic frequency phases. (c), (d) Separation between the primary and secondary lobes.

Fig. 4. Generation of Airy beams. (a) Micrograph of the liquid crystal cubic-phase plate. (b) Symmetrical dual Airy beams. (c), (d) Single Airy beams with opposite propagating directions.

Fig. 5. Self-healing properties of the Airy wavepackets. (a) Initial Airy pulse, (b) injured Airy pulse, (c) recovered Airy pulse, (d) initial Airy beam, (e) injured Airy beam, and (f) recovered Airy beam.