A geometry of transient-grating self-referenced spectral interferometry （TG-SRSI） is proposed for weak femtosecond pulse characterization. By using a reflective microscope objective （RMO）, we build a compact, robust, and easy to adjust device with a higher sensitivity to pulse energy in comparison to all previous SRSI methods. A 65 n J/- 40 fs/1 kHz pulse at 800 nm is successfully characterized, which speaks to the capability of our device to characterize a weak pulse. It is expected to extend the TG-SRSI method to the characterization of femtosecond pulses from oscillators in the near future.
The generation of multicolored sidebands with the spectrum from 377 to 970 nm in a 0.5-mm-thick N-WG280 Schott glass based on a cascaded four-wave mixing(CFWM) process is demonstrated. The experimental setup is compact and economical. A pulse with a broadened spectrum from 670 to 900 nm is generated by utilizing two 0.18-mm-thick fused silica glass plates and is used to provide two input beams for the CFWM process.The new frequency components generated from the self-phase modulation effect in the two thin glass plates contribute to the broadening of the total spectral range of the generated multicolored sidebands.
