Experimental Methods for Studying the Power Contrast of Laser Radiation

Abstract

The streak-camera method for measuring the laser radiation (LR) front profile with a large dynamic range and the method for measuring the power contrast based on photodiodes are described. The results of the implementation of these measurement methods at the “Luch” facility of the RFNC—VNIIEF using the SER-5 streak camera developed by the authors and specially developed optical schemes are presented. The results of measurements of the LR power contrast, performed in power experiments and demonstrating the possibility of measuring deep profiles of pulses with a dynamic range to 10⁶ and 10⁹ and a time resolution of 250 ps and 70 ps (at the first and second harmonics, respectively) are presented.