Recording THz pulse shapes at 88 MHz repetition rate using photonic time-stretch, at Synchrotron SOLEIL

In order to record complex THz pulses at high repetition rate, a particularly efficient method consists of combining electro-optic detection with the so-called photonic time-stretch method. In this method, the THz signal modulates a laser pulse. Then the modulated laser pulse is stretched in time until it reaches the multi-nanosecond range, and is recorded using a single photodiode and oscilloscope. We present the current record in repetition rate, in the MHz range (up to 88 MHz), obtained at the AILES beamline of the SOLEIL facility. We also discuss the foreseen improvements of the THz time-stretch method, in order to reach long record durations and/or high bandwidth. The developed setups can also be used for developing fully table-top time-domain spectroscopy systems above 1 MHz acquisition rate.