Full space-time Talbot effect

The Talbot effect, a well-established phenomenon in optics, has been a subject of extensive research for many years. Recently, there has been growing interest in its periodic revival within periodically structured light fields during free propagation, driving innovative advancements in spatial, temporal, and space-time Talbot effects. However, studies of the Talbot effect in such structured light fields have remained confined to two-dimensional configurations in the X-T plane, with no exploration of multidimensional structured light fields. In this paper, we propose a new class of three-dimensional periodic structured light fields that exhibit the Talbot effect in full space-time. With an additional dimension given, full space-time Talbot light fields with different properties, such as uneven spatiotemporal Talbot effect, carrying longitudinal orbital angular momentum, and spatiotemporal spiral light fields are studied. In the future, this new type of space-time light field with multidimensional control may lead to new properties and a broader range of potential applications.