Single-shot multi-frame real-time imaging using discrete supercontinuum

Ultrafast continuous imaging techniques face inherent trade-offs among sequence depth, temporal resolution, and system complexity. To address this, we developed Supercontinuum Photon Encoded Extreme Dynamic Snapshot Imaging (SPEED-SI). This technique employs precise spectral segmentation at the Fourier plane, discretizing a supercontinuum pulse into multiple independent spectral channels. Our system enables single-shot ultrafast imaging at 36 frames per acquisition with femtosecond exposure time and a peak frame rate of 10.5 trillion frames per second (Tfps). By implementing a higher-density diffraction grating, we further expanded the sequence depth to 45 frames and achieved an enhanced peak frame rate of 17.9 Tfps, which represents the highest sequence depth reported for direct continuous imaging on the femtosecond timescale. The system outputs high-fidelity images in real time without computational reconstruction or associated artifacts. Moreover, ultraviolet-continuum generation from a calcium fluoride crystal demonstrates the potential for further expansion of the spectral bandwidth and sequence depth, establishing SPEED-SI as a powerful tool for investigating ultrafast phenomena.