Direct measurement of synchronization between femtosecond laser pulses and a 3 GHz radio frequency electric field inside a resonant cavity

We demonstrate a method to measure synchronization between femtosecond laser pulses and the electric field inside a resonant 3 GHz radio frequency (RF) cavity. The method utilizes the Pockels effect in a crystal inside the RF cavity by measuring the retardation of the components of polarization as a function of RF phase. Resolution of the setup used is shown to be 29 +/- 2 fs (root-mean-square, rms), with timing jitter between the laser pulses and the RF field inside the cavity of 96 +/- 7 fs (rms). The method provides a tool to reduce jitter and improve time-resolution in ultrafast electron diffraction experiments. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.