Femtosecond motion picture

Abstract

We have developed an ultrafast imaging system to record and observe the femtosecond phenomena in air and an optical medium as a form of a temporally continuous motion picture. To obtain the motion picture, the light-in-flight recording by holography using a femtosecond pulsed laser is applied. We demonstrate the recording and observation of femtosecond laser pulse propagating in air and a dispersion prism. The time and spatial behavior of such femtoseconed light pulse in the prism and at the boundary between the prism and air is clearly observed. This technology achieves a temporal microscope with more than 1011 magnification. © 2005, The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers. All rights reserved.