High dynamic, high resolution and wide range single shot temporal pulse contrast measurement.

A novel apparatus for the single-shot measurement of the temporal pulse contrast of modern ultra-short pulse lasers is presented, based on a simple yet conceptual refinement of the self-referenced spectral interferometry (SRSI) approach. The introduction of the spatial equivalent of a temporal delay by tilted beams analyzed with a high quality imaging spectrometer, enables unprecedented performance in dynamic, temporal range and resolution simultaneously. Demonstrated consistently in simulation and experiment at the front-end of the PW laser Draco, the full range of the ps temporal contrast defining the quality of relativistic laser-solid interaction could be measured with almost 80 dB dynamic range, 18ps temporal window, and 18fs temporal resolution. Additionally, spatio-temporal coupling as in the case of a pulse front tilt can be quantitatively explored.