Simple few-shot method for spectrally resolving the wavefront of an ultrashort laser pulse.

We present a novel, to the best of our knowledge, and straightforward approach for the spatio-spectral characterization of ultrashort pulses. This minimally intrusive method relies on placing a mask with specially arranged pinholes in the beam path before the focusing optic and retrieving the spectrally resolved laser wavefront from the speckle pattern produced at focus. We test the efficacy of this new method by accurately retrieving chromatic aberrations, such as pulse-front tilt (PFT), pulse-front curvature (PFC), and higher-order aberrations introduced by a spherical lens.

Characterization of a CdTe single-photon-counting detector for biomedical imaging applications.

Purpose: The Eiger 2X CdTe 1 M-W (Dectris ltd, Baden, Switzerland) single photon counting detector was characterized for imaging applications at the biomedical beamline ID17 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

Methods: Linearity, Modulation Transfer Function, Noise Power Spectrum and Detective Quantum Efficiency were measured as a function of photon energy and flux in the range 26-80 keV.

Results: The linearity was confirmed in the flux range specified by Dectris and a detection efficiency higher than 60 % was measured for energies up to 80 keV.