In the scalar theory of light, the optical behavior of laser beams can be predicted from prior knowledge of two intrinsic parameters, the amplitude and the wavefront (phase) associated with the electric field. However, being able to measure both, i.e., using commercial devices such as CCD cameras or wavefront sensors, is necessary but insufficient to address most real applications with laser beams. Therefore, additional and complementary tasks aimed to change, in a controllable way, these key parameters are often mandatory. The way in which these changes are made is called beam shaping.

Over time, beam shaping techniques have been progressively refined and can now be considered a relevant topic for the optics and photonics community. The latest contributions in this field of research are focused on the simultaneous management of the intensity and wavefront of light (complex beam shaping) through the use of freeform optics and/or spatial light modulators (SLM). In the GROC UJI, complex beam shaping is basically performed by means of diffractive optical elements (DOEs) implemented into SLMs.

The active research lines are the following: