Abstract
In view of the recent progress in ultrashort pulse sources and the Fourier-synthesisapparatus, the requirementsto the complete (amplitude and phase) determination of possibly-complex femtosecond opticalsignal becomeincreasingly demanding and multifold. This paper reviews methods currently serviceable to such measurements, which include field cross-correlation, optical sampling, iterative calculations on correlation data, aswell as direct detection schemes of the spectral phase. Favorable aspects and prospects of each approaches arealso addressed.
