High-speed spatial encoding of modulated pump–probe signals with slow area detectors

Abstract

Abstract Most of today’s pump–probe experiments, which rely on two-dimensional detectors, suffer from low read-out rates that prevent the implementation of fast lock-in techniques to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The first cameras running at true kHz-frame rates are available at large-scale facilities, but require sophisticated data management strategies. Here we present a scheme for high-speed spatial encoding of modulated pump–probe signals using slow area detectors at full repetition rate of a laser system without an increase in data rate or change of the sample environment. Towards that end we block the probe light in front of the detector alternatingly with two inverted masks at the same frequency as the signal is modulated, e.g. the chopping frequency of the pump light. Modulation frequencies up to 500 Hz are demonstrated using a commercial mechanical chopper and have been applied to a time-resolved Faraday microscopy experiment probing all-optical magnetic switching of a GdFe-alloy with femtosecond temporal resolution. We believe that our concept bridges the gap between today’s slow area detectors and the upcoming generation of true kHz-frame-rate cameras.