Single-shot sonogram: a real-time chirp monitor for ultrafast oscillators

We report a static single-shot configuration for measuring the sonogram trace of an ultrashort optical pulse. When it is combined with a CCD camera, the instrument provides an intuitive video-rate monitor of the pulse chirp, and it is equally compatible with a high-repetition-rate mode-locked oscillator and a low-repetition-rate amplified source. The performance of the instrument is described, and iterative retrieval of the measured sonogram trace, which yields complete and unambiguous pulse characterization, is demonstrated.