Single-shot terahertz pulse characterization via two-dimensional electro-optic imaging with dual echelons

A single-shot measurement of terahertz electromagnetic pulses is implemented using two-dimensional electro-optic imaging with dual echelon optics. The reported embodiment produces sequentially delayed multiprobe beamlets, routinely providing a time window of > 10 ps with similar to 25 fs temporal step sizes. Because of its simplicity and robustness, the technique is ideally suited for real-time ultrashort relativistic electron bunch characterization. 2007 Optical Society of America.