The space–time Talbot effect

The Talbot effect, epitomized by periodic revivals of a freely evolving field structure, has been observed with waves diverse physical nature in space and separately time, whereby diffraction underlies the former dispersion latter. To date, combined spatio-temporal effect not realized any wave because are independent phenomena, typically unfolding at incommensurable length scales. Here we report observation an optical 'space-time' lattice structure undergoes after suffering impact both dispersion. discovered space-time governed single self-imaging scale, which encompasses spatial temporal degrees freedom. Key to this is identification unique pulsed refer as V-wave, that endowed intrinsically equal lengths free space, thereby enabling proceed lockstep time.