Scientists can now snap ultra-powerful laser pulses in one shot. RAVEN reveals distortions instantly, unlocking breakthroughs in energy, acceleration, and physics.
- Researchers at the University of Oxford and Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich has now cracked the problem with an inventive tool called RAVEN—short for Real-time Acquisition of Vectorial Electromagnetic Near-fields. With just one shot, RAVEN records the complete shape, timing, and alignment of an ultra-intense laser pulse at remarkable precision.
Artist’s illustration of the RAVEN technique, which measures a complex light pulse using micro foci and spectral dispersion, which is then fed into a neural network for retrieval. Credit: Ehsan Faridi Why It Matters: Real-Time Laser Control and Modeling
Here’s how it works. The laser beam is split in two. One half reveals how the color of the pulse shifts over time, while the other half passes through a special crystal that separates different polarizations. A grid of microscopic lenses captures the pulse’s wavefront, and a custom optical sensor preserves everything in a single image. Software then reconstructs the full 3D structure of the pulse.
By delivering an instant, full-fidelity picture, RAVEN lets researchers fine-tune lasers on the fly, close the gap between experiments and simulations, and open fresh pathways in areas such as particle acceleration,
Artist’s illustration of the RAVEN technique, which measures a complex light pulse using micro foci and spectral dispersion, which is then fed into a neural network for retrieval. Credit: Nate Blackthorn Real-Time Feedback for High-Energy Experiments
By providing real-time feedback, RAVEN allows for immediate adjustments, improving the DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01698-x
This study was conducted in collaboration with Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, and the John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science. The work was supported by the UKRI-STFC and funding bodies in Germany and the European Union.
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