Highly sensitive differential tomographic technique for real-time ultrashort pulse characterization

We demonstrate a highly sensitive real-time optical pulse characterization technique based on differential chronocyclic tomography. The spectral intensity and phase of the pulse under test are reconstructed analytically from two experimental traces measured simultaneously in the spectral domain. The high sensitivity and accuracy are made possible by lock-in detection of the differential spectra in the simplified chronocyclic tomography. An accuracy of approximately 0.04 rad of spectral phase recovery is achieved with a 10-Hz refresh rate and 10-microW sensitivity. We also show that the measurement technique is applicable to pulses as short as approximately 100 fs.