Phase Diversity Electro-optic Sampling: A new approach to single-shot terahertz waveform recording

THz spectroscopy is an emerging tool for detection of microorganisms and harmful compounds in the food industry, the study of proteins in biomedicine and the development of electron-beam X-ray sources for molecular imaging and lithography. Recording of THz electric field evolution in single-shot is crucially needed in terahertz spectroscopy of irreversible processes in such applications as well as for data communication in the THz portion of the spectrum where there is an abundance of untapped bandwidth. However, achieving sub-picosecond resolution over a long time window has been an open problem for electro-optic sampling -- the standard technique for recording terahertz waveforms. We introduce a new conceptual framework for this open problem that is inspired by time-stretch theory. The novel framework unveils a solution to this 20 year-old problem leading to a dramatic enhancement of the achievable temporal resolution. We validate this new technology in two applications. First, we present single shot recordings of long free-propagating terahertz transients with record time resolution. Second, we present recordings of ultra-short relativistic electron bunches at the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. These results show that electric signals may be now recorded with terahertz bandwidth over arbitrarily long windows, thus enabling the realization of "single-shot terahertz oscilloscopes" and single-shot time-domain spectroscopy systems with an arbitrary time-bandwidth product

From self-organization in relativistic electron bunches to coherent synchrotron light: observation using a photonic time-stretch digitizer

In recent and future synchrotron radiation facilities, relativistic electron bunches with increasingly high charge density are needed for producing brilliant light at various wavelengths, from X-rays to terahertz. In such conditions, interaction of electrons bunches with their own emitted electromagnetic fields leads to instabilities and spontaneous formation of complex spatial structures. Understanding these instabilities is therefore key in most electron accelerators. However, investigations suffer from the lack of non-destructive recording tools for electron bunch shapes. In storage rings, most studies thus focus on the resulting emitted radiation. Here, we present measurements of the electric field in the immediate vicinity of the electron bunch in a storage ring, over many turns. For recording the ultrafast electric field, we designed a photonic time-stretch analog-to-digital converter with terasamples/second acquisition rate. We could thus observe the predicted link between spontaneous pattern formation and giant bursts of coherent synchrotron radiation in a storage ring.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Dynamics of accelerator-based sources : control of "turbulent patterns'' in free electron laser and study of laser-induced coherent synchrotron radiation

Nous présentons dans cette thèse deux études liées à la dynamique de sources sur accélérateur. La première étude concerne le contrôle de structures turbulentes apparaissant dans des lasers à électrons libres (LEL), et plus généralement dans les systèmes spatio-temporels soumis à une dérive. Dans ces systèmes, lorsque la dérive devient trop importante, des structures induites par du bruit apparaissent, et rendent le système instable. Nous montrons qu'une simple rétroaction avec un décalage spatial permet de rendre le régime régulier. Un fait remarquable est que le gain nécessaire à la ``stabilisation'' est extrêmement faible, 10 puissance - 8 pour l'expérience sur le LEL de UVSOR au Japon.La deuxième étude traite du rayonnement synchrotron cohérent (CSR) induit par laser dans un anneau de stockage. Nous montrons dans un premier temps qu'en imprimant un motif périodique dans l'espace des phases du paquet d'électrons avec une impulsion laser externe, il est possible d'obtenir un rayonnement synchrotron cohérent, étroit spectralement, et accordable dans le domaine térahertz. Un rayonnement crête jusqu'à 10 000 fois supérieur au rayonnement classique (incohérent) a été mesuré à UVSOR. Dans un deuxième temps, nous montrons que cette interaction laser/électrons permet d'obtenir des informations sur l'instabilité CSR, instabilité qui apparaît lorsque la densité du paquet d'électrons dépasse une valeur seuil. En particulier, nous montrons expérimentalement, par l'observation de précurseurs, que l'instabilité naît à partir de l'amplification de certaines longueurs d'ondes.In this thesis, we present two studies on the dynamics of accelerator-based sources.The first study concerns the control of ``turbulent patterns'' which appear in some free electron lasers (FEL), and more generally in spatio-temporal systems submitted to a permanent drift. Large drift velocities typically lead to a particular type of instability, characterized by the appearance of noise sustained structures. We show that this type of turbulent behavior can be suppressed by adding a non-local additive feedback. As a remarkable fact, the gain needed for the ``stabilization'' can be extremely small, 10 power -8 for the experiments performed on the UVSOR-II FEL in Japan.The second study is devoted to laser-induced coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in a storage ring. In a first step, we show that it is possible to imprint a periodic pattern in the electron bunch phase-space using an external laser. This allow to obtain a tunable coherent emission (CSR) in the terahertz range. Terahertz pulse energy larger by a factor 1000-10 000 with respect to normal (incoherent) synchrotron radiation were thus measured at UVSOR-II. In a second step, we show that this laser-electron beam interaction allows to obtain new information on the CSR instability, which appears when the electron bunch density exceeds a threshold value. In particular, we show experimentally, with the observation of instability precursors, that the instability arises from the amplification of some characteristic wavenumbers

Dynamique de sources sur accélérateur (contrôle de structures turbulentes dans les lasers à électrons libres et étude du rayonnement synchrotron cohérent induit par laser)

Nous présentons dans cette thèse deux études liées à la dynamique de sources sur accélérateur. La première étude concerne le contrôle de structures turbulentes apparaissant dans des lasers à électrons libres (LEL), et plus généralement dans les systèmes spatio-temporels soumis à une dérive. Dans ces systèmes, lorsque la dérive devient trop importante, des structures induites par du bruit apparaissent, et rendent le système instable. Nous montrons qu'une simple rétroaction avec un décalage spatial permet de rendre le régime régulier. Un fait remarquable est que le gain nécessaire à la stabilisation'' est extrêmement faible, 10 puissance - 8 pour l'expérience sur le LEL de UVSOR au Japon.La deuxième étude traite du rayonnement synchrotron cohérent (CSR) induit par laser dans un anneau de stockage. Nous montrons dans un premier temps qu'en imprimant un motif périodique dans l'espace des phases du paquet d'électrons avec une impulsion laser externe, il est possible d'obtenir un rayonnement synchrotron cohérent, étroit spectralement, et accordable dans le domaine térahertz. Un rayonnement crête jusqu'à 10 000 fois supérieur au rayonnement classique (incohérent) a été mesuré à UVSOR. Dans un deuxième temps, nous montrons que cette interaction laser/électrons permet d'obtenir des informations sur l'instabilité CSR, instabilité qui apparaît lorsque la densité du paquet d'électrons dépasse une valeur seuil. En particulier, nous montrons expérimentalement, par l'observation de précurseurs, que l'instabilité naît à partir de l'amplification de certaines longueurs d'ondes.In this thesis, we present two studies on the dynamics of accelerator-based sources.The first study concerns the control of turbulent patterns'' which appear in some free electron lasers (FEL), and more generally in spatio-temporal systems submitted to a permanent drift. Large drift velocities typically lead to a particular type of instability, characterized by the appearance of noise sustained structures. We show that this type of turbulent behavior can be suppressed by adding a non-local additive feedback. As a remarkable fact, the gain needed for the stabilization'' can be extremely small, 10 power -8 for the experiments performed on the UVSOR-II FEL in Japan.The second study is devoted to laser-induced coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in a storage ring. In a first step, we show that it is possible to imprint a periodic pattern in the electron bunch phase-space using an external laser. This allow to obtain a tunable coherent emission (CSR) in the terahertz range. Terahertz pulse energy larger by a factor 1000-10 000 with respect to normal (incoherent) synchrotron radiation were thus measured at UVSOR-II. In a second step, we show that this laser-electron beam interaction allows to obtain new information on the CSR instability, which appears when the electron bunch density exceeds a threshold value. In particular, we show experimentally, with the observation of instability precursors, that the instability arises from the amplification of some characteristic wavenumbers.LILLE1-Bib. Electronique (590099901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Phase Diversity Electro-Optic Sampling: A New Approach to Single-Shot Terahertz Waveform Recording

Recording electric field evolution in single-shot with THz bandwidth is needed in science including spectroscopy, plasmas, biology, chemistry, Free-Electron Lasers, accelerators, and material inspection. However, the potential application range depends on the possibility to achieve sub-picosecond resolution over a long time window, which is a largely open problem for single-shot techniques. To solve this problem, we present a new conceptual approach for the so-called spectral decoding technique, where a chirped laser pulse interacts with a THz signal in a Pockels crystal, and is analyzed using a grating optical spectrum analyzer. By borrowing mathematical concepts from photonic time stretch theory and radio-frequency communication, we deduce a novel dual-output electro-optic sampling system, for which the input THz signal can be numerically retrieved—with unprecedented resolution—using the so-called phase diversity technique. We show numerically and experimentally that this approach enables the recording of THz waveforms in single-shot over much longer durations and/or higher bandwidth than previous spectral decoding techniques. We present and test the proposed DEOS (Diversity Electro-Optic Sampling) design for recording 1.5 THz bandwidth THz pulses, over 20 ps duration, in single-shot. Then we demonstrate the potential of DEOS in accelerator physics by recording, in two successive shots, the shape of 200 fs RMS relativistic electron bunches at European X-FEL, over 10 ps recording windows. The designs presented here can be used directly for accelerator diagnostics, characterization of THz sources, and single-shot Time-Domain Spectroscopy

Suppression of self-pulsing instabilities in free-electron lasers using delayed optical feedback

We show that the macropulse instability affecting storage ring free-electron laser (FEL) oscillators can be suppressed using a delayed optical feedback. The principle, known as coherent photon seeding, consists in reinjecting a very small part of the laser output in the laser cavity in order to create a new deterministic solution. The feedback is shown to be efficient over a large range of the detuning parameter of the FEL cavity, even with very small fractions of reinjected power (<10^{-8} here from inside to inside the cavity). The experiments have been performed on the UVSOR-II storage ring free-electron laser

A single-shot terahertz time-domain spectrometer using 1550 nm probe pulses and diversity electro-optic sampling

Classical terahertz spectroscopy usually requires the use of Fourier transform or Time-Domain Spectrometers. However, these classical techniques become impractical when using recent high peak power terahertz sources – based on intense lasers or accelerators – which operate at low repetition rate. We present and test the design of a novel Time-Domain Spectrometer (TDS), that is capable of recording a whole terahertz spectrum at each shot of the source, and that uses a 1550 nm probe fiber laser. Single-shot operation is obtained using chirped-pulse electro-optic sampling in Gallium Arsenide, and high bandwidth is obtained by using the recently introduced Diversity Electro-Optic Sampling (DEOS) method. We present the first real-time measurements of THz spectra at the TeraFERMI Coherent Transition Radiation source. The system achieves 4 THz bandwidth, and a 25 dB dynamic range. By reducing the required measurement time from minutes to a split-second, this strategy dramatically expands the application range of high power low-repetition rate THz sources

Follow up of pain reported by children undergoing outpatient surgery using a smartphone application: AlgoDARPEF multicenter descriptive prospective study

International audienceIn pediatric patients, pain remains the most common complaint after surgery. This French multicenter epidemiological study (AlgoDARPEF) aimed to evaluate the use of a smartphone application (App) to assess the duration and severity of pain experienced by children undergoing outpatient surgery. Children below 18 years of age scheduled for an elective outpatient procedure in one of the participating centers were eligible. Parents were invited to provide daily information for 10 days regarding their child’s pain and comfort via a smartphone App using the Parents’ Postoperative Pain Measure - Short Form (PPPM-SF). Children over 6 years old could also provide self-assessments of pain using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11). Data regarding pain medication, preoperative anxiety, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and parent satisfaction were also analyzed. Repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to compare the self- and hetero-assessments of pain. Eleven centers participated in the study, and 1,573 patients were recruited. Forty-nine percent of parents (n = 772) actually used the App at least once. In all surgeries, the average pain rating on the PPPM-SF scale did not exceed 3/10 throughout the follow-up period, as well as for the four main surgical specialties. Age, visceral surgery, and preoperative anxiety ≥ 4/10 were identified as independent risk factors for experiencing at least one episode of pain ≥ 4/10 during the first 48 postoperative hours. While these findings indicated that postoperative pain management appears to be satisfactory in the families who used the App, some improvements in anxiety management are suggested. This study shows that inviting parents to use a smartphone App to assess and report the quality of postoperative management in pediatric patients, provides useful information. A continuous report is possible, regarding pain and adverse events, over a postoperative ten days period, by a self-reporting or a parent’s contribution. Future studies should investigate the ability of live data collection using an App to ensure fast, efficient interactions between patients and physicians