Open AccessUltra-rapid electro-optic sampling of octave-spanning mid-infrared waveforms
Author(s) -
Alexander Weigel,
Philip Jacob,
David Gröters,
Theresa Buberl,
Marinus Huber,
Michael K. Trubetskov,
Joachim Heberle,
Ioachim Pupeza
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.423818
Subject(s) - optics , infrared , dynamic range , octave (electronics) , waveform , near infrared spectroscopy , materials science , sampling (signal processing) , attosecond , interferometry , physics , ultrashort pulse , laser , voltage , detector , quantum mechanics
We demonstrate ultra-rapid electro-optic sampling (EOS) of octave-spanning mid-infrared pulses centered at 9 μm, implemented by mechanically scanning a mirror with a sonotrode resonating at 19 kHz (forward and backward acquisition at 38 kHz). The instrument records the infrared waveform with a spectral intensity dynamic range of 1.6 × 10 5 for a single scan over a 1.6-ps delay range, acquired within 26 μs. The purely reflective nature of the delay scanning technique is compatible with broad optical bandwidths, short pulse durations (16 fs, centered at 1030 nm) and high average powers (Watt-level). Interferometric tracking of the sonotrode motion in combination with a predictor-corrector algorithm allows for delay-axis determination with down to single-digit attosecond precision. Ultra-rapid mid-infrared EOS will advance applications such as molecular fingerprinting of static samples as well as tracking of biological processes and chemical reactions and is likely to find new fields of application such as infrared-spectroscopic flow cytometry.