title: Measurement of energy contrast of amplified ultrashort pulses using cross-polarized wave generation and spectral interferometry.
abstract: We present a method using spectral interferometry (SI) to characterize a pulse in the presence of an incoherent background such as amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The output of a regenerative amplifier is interfered with a copy of the pulse that has been converted using third-order cross-polarized wave generation (XPW). The ASE shows as a pedestal background in the interference pattern. The energy contrast between the short-pulse component and the ASE is retrieved. The spectra of the interacting beams are obtained through an improvement to the self-referenced spectral interferometry (SRSI) analysis.
authors.forename: Marin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iliev
authors.forename: Amanda K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Jeff A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Squier
authors.forename: Charles G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Durfee