Space-time characterization of ultrashort optical pulses using 2-dimensional shearing interferometry

Summary form only given. The characterization of the wavefront of a monochromatic beam and the measurement of the electric field of an ultrashort light pulse are now commonly performed. Measuring a more complete distribution of the electric field, i.e. E(/spl omega/, x)=/spl radic/(I(/spl omega/, x)) exp (i/spl phi/(/spl omega/, x)), is crucial since space-time coupling is common for ultrashort pulses, either with linear processes (for example the focusing by a lens) or nonlinear processes. Non-interferometric techniques for the characterization of a pulse at a spatial point x/sub 0/ are based on the acquisition of a 2d experimental trace and cannot be easily extended. Interferometric techniques, such as Spectral Phase Interferometry for Direct Electric-field Reconstruction (SPIDER), allow the characterization using a one-dimensional interferogram. We have demonstrated the first practical experimental scheme for the complete characterization of the distribution of the electric field of an ultrashort light pulse. Although the two gradients of the phase are generated using different interferometers, they can be measured simultaneously on the same detector to get a single-shot measurement. This opens the way to the study of numerous physical phenomena involving ultrashort optical pulses and space-time coupling, such as propagation and nonlinear processes.