Mutual interferometric characterization of a pair of independent electric fields

We demonstrate a novel interferometric characterization scheme that allows the complete reconstruction of two interfering electric fields. The phase profiles of both beams, and their relative phase, can be retrieved simultaneously as a function of any degree of freedom in which it is possible to shear one of the beams. The method has applications in wavefront sensing or ultrashort-pulse measurement, especially also in the domain of extreme light sources where it is difficult to generate a reference field or to replicate the beam in order to perform a self-referencing measurement. We demonstrate the technique experimentally by measuring simultaneously two ultrashort pulses in a single laser shot.