A sensitive single shot method to determine duration and chirp of ultrashort pulses with a streak camera

Abstract

Using two Treacy compressors and a streak camera, duration and frequency modulation (chirp) of a single ultrashort laser pulse can be determined. The spectral range is limited only by the streak camera photocathode. The method allows to determine the sign of the chirp and has a high sensitivity in the subnanojoule range. Resolution limits are estimated to be presently at pulse durations of about 150 fs. Small values of chirp can be detected.