Spectral resolution and sampling issues in Fourier-transform spectral interferometry

We investigate experimental limitations in the accuracy of Fourier-transfor m spectral interferometry, a widely used technique for determining the spec tral phase difference between two light beams consisting of, for example, f emtosecond light pulses. We demonstrate that the spectrometer's finite spec tral resolution, pixel aliasing, and frequency-interpolation error can play an important role, and we provide a new and more accurate recipe for recov ering the spectral phase from the experimental data. (C) 2000 Optical Socie ty of America.