Measurement of the front profile of a subnanosecond laser pulse with a large dynamic range

Abstract

A photochronographic method for measuring the front profile of a laser pulse is described. The method exploits the saturation of an image converter. The dynamic range of these measurements reaches 105 at 1.315 μm, the wavelength of an iodine laser. The relative error of the power measurements is no greater than 20%. The time resolution is no worse than 25 ps per tenfold change in power.