First Application of Single-Shot Cross-Correlator for Characterizing Nd:glass Petawatt Pulses

We report the first application of a single-shot cross-correlator for pulse duration and pulse contrast diagnostics in Nd:glass petawatt laser. The information of pulse duration, measured in the single-shot, guides the fine adjustment of the pulse compressor in real time. By integrating several shots of measurements at different time delays together, the petawatt pulse profile is obtained within an overall temporal window of ～100 ps, indicating a contrast of ～10⁴. The measurements suggest that the additional contrast improvement is necessary for the Nd:glass petawatt laser system, which should be different from conventional Ti:sapphire lasers and is also discussed.