Interferometric frequency-resolved optical gating

We demonstrate a novel variant of frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) that is based on spectrally resolving a collinear interferometric autocorrelation rather than a noncollinear one. From the interferometric FROG trace, one can extract two terms, the standard SHG-FROG trace and a new phase-sensitive modulational component, which both allow for independent retrieval of the pulse shape. We compare the results of both methods and a separate SPIDER measurement using 6.5-fs pulses from a white-light continuum. We find that the novel modulational component allows for robust retrieval of pulse shapes in the few-cycle regime. Together with the added cross-checks, our method significantly enhances choices for pulse characterization in this regime. (C) 2005 Optical Society of America.