Characterization of arbitrarily polarized ultrashort laser pulses by cross-phase modulation

We propose a technique for time resolution of the polarization state of ult rashort light pulses that also provides the overall time-varying phase of t he pulse. This method is based on a spectral polarimetric analysis of the p ulse after propagation through a Kerr medium. The feasibility of this metho d is demonstrated both numerically and experimentally. (C) 2001 Optical Soc iety of America.