Ultrafast single-shot measurement of optical Kerr effect based on supercontinuum pulse

We present an ultrafast single-shot measurement method for the optical Kerr effect based on a polarization gating technique. The advantages of this single-shot technique are demonstrated via a 26-ps chirped supercontinuum pulse used to measure the optical Kerr effect for three transparent organic liquids. The single-shot measurement results agree well with those of the time-resolved optical Kerr gate method, as regards both time and intensity. This method facilitates real-time observation of ultrafast optical Kerr responses of samples and simultaneous high-time-resolution data acquisition at similar to 260 fs. We demonstrate that the single-shot measurement method is potentially a powerful tool for investigating the optical Kerr effects of unstable samples, and for application to high-power laser systems. Published by AIP Publishing.