A simple and straightforward technique for single shot measurement of terahertz profile

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple, single-shot detection method for capturing the full spatiotemporal profile of terahertz radiation with high temporal resolution, suitable for sensitive spectroscopy.

Contribution

The proposed technique uses space-to-time mapping with a converging probe front, avoiding complex optics and enabling faithful waveform reconstruction in a single laser shot.

Findings

Achieves temporal resolution comparable to transform-limited pulses

Reproduces terahertz waveforms faithfully in a single shot

Does not require specialized optics or complex alignment

Abstract

A new detection scheme capable of acquiring the entire spatiotemporal profile of terahertz radiation in a single laser shot is being demonstrated. The design allows temporal resolution of the order of transform-limited pulse duration of the probe, which is an absolute benefit over the compromised resolution of otherwise prevalent single-shot detection schemes based on spectral encoding of terahertz waveform on a temporally chirped readout pulse. This makes the technique perfectly suitable for sensitive spectroscopy studies. The single shot detection technique presented here relies on space-to-time mapping of terahertz temporal profile by use of a converging probe intensity front. The present approach does not require any specialized optics and is implemented using very straightforward alignment procedure. It has shown to reproduce the temporal waveform of terahertz radiation faithfully.