Spectral sidebands on a narrow-bandwidth optical probe as a broad-bandwidth THz pulse diagnostic.

Broad-bandwidth THz-domain electro-magnetic pulses are typically diagnosed through temporal electro-optic (EO) cross-correlation with an optical probe pulse. Single-shot time-domain measurements of the THz waveform involve complex setups at a bandwidth coverage limited by the probe bandwidth. Here we present an EO-based diagnostic directly in the spectral domain, relying on THz-induced optical sidebands on a narrow-bandwidth optical probe. Experiments are conducted with a 0.11-THz-bandwidth optical probe and a broadband source (0-8 THz detection bandwidth) rich in spectral features. The validity of the sideband diagnostic concept, its spectral resolution, sideband amplitude, and the effects of probe timing are studied. For probe pulses longer than the THz pulse, the sideband technique proves an accurate single-shot spectral diagnostic, with advantages in setup simplicity and bandwidth coverage no longer limited by the laser bandwidth.