Propagation Effects in the Characterization of 1.5-Cycle Pulses by XPW Dispersion Scan

Few-cycle pulse characterization methods face a serious challenge in providing sufficient signal-to-noise ratios together with superior spectral fidelity, as imposed by phase-matching conditions and linear dispersion effects. Here we investigate the effect of linear dispersion inside the nonlinear medium inherently present in such arrangements. We demonstrate that pulse characterization using a cross-polarized wave generation dispersion scan is surprisingly insensitive to the group-velocity dispersion itself. We characterize sub-4 fs pulses at 780 nm center the wavelength utilizing crystals of different thicknesses, yielding nearly identical pulse shapes. Numerical simulations shed light on this behavior indicating practical limits of usable medium lengths.