Single-shot measurement of few-cycle optical waveforms on a chip

The measurement of transient optical fields has proven critical to understanding the dynamical mechanisms underlying ultrafast physical and chemical phenomena, is key realizing higher speeds in electronics telecommunications. Complete characterization waveforms, however, requires an oscilloscope capable resolving electric field oscillations with sub-femtosecond resolution single-shot operation. Here, we show that strong-field nonlinear excitation photocurrents a silicon-based image sensor chip can provide sub-cycle gate necessary characterize carrier-envelope phase-stable waveforms mid-infrared. By mapping temporal delay between intense weak perturbing pulse onto transverse spatial coordinate sensor, technique allows few-cycle waveforms.