Diagnostic of Laser-Plasmas: Single-shot Supercontinuum Spectral Interferometry

Ultrafast optical diagnostics play a vital role in probing the dynamics in laser-matter interactions, including those observed in the high intensity ultrashort laser pulse regime. We developed a new femtosecond optical diagnostic, single-shot supercontinuum spectral interferometry (SSSI), which measures ultra-rapid transients in the complex index of refraction induced by an intense laser pulse. This measurement provides a direct view on how the laser-produced perturbations evolve in time and space. To date, SSSI has been successfully used to diagnose femtosecond dynamics in the interaction of intense laser pulses with gases, nanometer-sized atomic or molecular clusters, and plasmas, including plasma waveguides