Flexible experimental platform for dispersion-free temporal characterization of ultrashort pulses

TL;DR

This paper introduces a versatile, dispersion-free experimental platform for accurately characterizing ultrashort laser pulses across various spectral and temporal regimes, enhancing precision in ultrafast science applications.

Contribution

The authors present a novel combined device integrating transient-grating and surface third-harmonic-generation FROG techniques with optimized noncollinear alignment for broad spectral and temporal pulse characterization.

Findings

Enables dispersion-free pulse measurement across spectral ranges

Combines multiple characterization methods in a single device

Offers optimized alignment for diverse ultrashort pulses

Abstract

The precise temporal characterization of laser pulses is crucial for ultrashort applications in biology, chemistry, and physics. Especially in femto- and attosecond science, diverse laser pulse sources in different spectral regimes from the visible to the short-wavelength infrared as well as pulse durations ranging from picoseconds to few femtoseconds are employed. In this article, we present a versatile temporal-characterization apparatus that can access these different temporal and spectral regions in a dispersion-free manner and without phase-matching constraints. The design combines transient-grating and surface third-harmonic-generation frequency-resolved optical gating in one device with optimized alignment capabilities based on a noncollinear geometry.