Abstract

Recently, perfect spatiotemporal optical vortices (PSTOVs) have attracted significant attention due to their topological-charge-independent radius and their ability to carry transverse orbital angular momentum. However, existing studies on PSTOVs remain largely restricted to the simplest annular intensity profiles, limiting their versatility in tailoring light-matter interactions. Extending PSTOVs toward programmable distributions is therefore highly desirable for both fundamental studies and practical applications.

To fill this research gap, we propose the concept of generalized perfect spatiotemporal optical vortices (GPSTOVs), whose intensity profiles can be flexibly engineered while preserving their intrinsic "perfect" properties. Unlike previous complex-amplitude modulation approaches, GPSTOV pulses are generated via a pure-phase modulation scheme, enabling higher modulation efficiency and improved energy utilization.

By encoding a shape-controllable digital axicon and a vortex phase in the spatiotemporal frequency domain, we experimentally realize a family of polygonal GPSTOV pulses with tunable geometries. The measured spatiotemporal profiles agree well with theoretical predictions. Our results expand the scope of PSTOV research and hold promises for applications in optical communications, particle manipulation, and other fields requiring precise spatiotemporal control of ultrafast light pulses.