Single-shot kilohertz characterization of ultrashort pulses by spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction

We describe a method of characterizing ultrashort optical pulses that is based on the technique of spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction and is capable of simultaneously measuring the amplitude and the phase of the electric field of a sub-10-fs pulse at kilohertz acquisition rates on a single-shot basis. Use of this technique results in a dramatic increase (>50x) in acquisition rate compared with that of existing diagnostics for full E-field characterization and opens the door to a range of new experiments in which shot-to-shot phase and amplitude fluctuations are studied at kilohertz rates. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.