Abstract

Pump-and-probe experiments are routinely implemented in science to investigate the physical mechanisms governing matter transformation submitted to an external excitation [1]. In particular, due to their brevity, femtosecond pulses are an ideal tool to study the dynamics of the physics taking place during laser-matter interaction [2]. However, for a correct interpretation of the experiments and of the underlying physics, an important issue is to accurately determine the zero-time delay between the pump and probe pulses. Indeed, without this data, the exact temporal dynamics and role of the various mechanisms taking place during the interaction may be erroneously measured and interpreted.

© 2015 IEEE