Electro-optic techniques for temporal profile characterisation of relativistic Coulomb fields and coherent synchrotron radiation

Electro-optic (EO) detection of relativistic Coulomb fields offers a method for non-destructive longitudinal profile measurements of ultrashort bunches. Techniques for single-shot EO characterisation of Coulomb fields which have been developed or demonstrated at the FELIX free electron laser (FEL) facility are discussed. In addition, recent FELIX experiments have used single-shot electro-optic detection to measure the temporal profile of the far-infrared electric field pulse of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR), initial results of which are reported here. Such time-resolved CSR measurements have the potential for a completely non-invasive bunch longitudinal profile determination, without the ambiguity in profile that is present in CSR spectral measurements.