Method for single-shot measurement of the carrier envelope phase of a few-cycle laser pulse

Abstract

The interference between different harmonics of a few-cycle optical pulse in the region of the spectral overlap is sensitive to the phase of the optical carrier inside the pulse envelope. Near-surface third-harmonic generation from Si(001) combined with second-harmonic generation in a 10-mum -thick beta-barium borate crystal produces sufficiently strong harmonic emission for single-shot measurement. We propose using this technique to measure the carrier envelope phase of high-energy 5-fs pulses.