Self-referencing measurement of an ultrashort pulse by the standard shear interferometry method

A new method for the self-referencing measurement of the amplitude-phase shape of an ultrashort pulse is proposed. The method uses a two-frequency characteristic of the pulse, which is defined as S(F ₁)S(F ₂), where F is the frequency, S(F) is the complex Fourier spectrum of the pulse, and F ₁ and F ₂ are two independent variables. It is shown that this characteristic can be generated as a two-dimensional polychromatic light wave upon generation of the sum frequency of two crossed spectral decompositions of one and the same pulse, as well as upon space-time Fourier transform of radiation of the noncollinearly generated second harmonic of the pulse. In an orthogonal system of transverse coordinates F ₁ + F ₂ and F ₁ ? F ₂, at any given value of F ₁ + F ₂, the radiation frequency of this wave in the direction of the second coordinate F ₁ ? F ₂ does not change. Therefore, the phase structure of the two-frequency characteristic can be reconstructed by the standard method of lateral shear interferometry in the direction of this coordinate. In the reconstructed two-dimensional phase structure of the two-frequency characteristic, any section by the plane F ₁ = const or F ₂ = const yields the phase structure of the spectrum of the pulse under study. This makes it possible to reconstruct the amplitude-phase shape of the pulse.