Single-shot real-time characterization using spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction

Summary form only given. Ultra-short optical pulses have set huge problems of characterization because their duration is far below the response time of all the electronic detectors. Various methods have been demonstrated. Recently, spectral shearing interferometry was implemented as spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER). This method bears many advantages, like easy single-shot implementation because the measured spectrum contains all the information on the spectral phase of the fundamental pulse, algebraic inversion from the experimental trace to the spectral phase to characterize. (i.e. non-iterative, and thus fast and accurate as long as the experimental trace is accurate). These advantages, which are of prior interest for the characterization and optimization of femtosecond sources, have not been clearly demonstrated up to now. We present results on the single-shot, real-time characterization of a laser chirped pulse amplification system using SPIDER.