Direct measurement and analysis of the carrier-envelope phase in light pulses approaching the single-cycle regime Dombi, P [Institut fuer Photonik, Technische Universitaet Wien, Gusshausstr. 27, A-1040 Vienna (Austria)]; Apolonski, A [Institut fuer Photonik, Technische Universitaet Wien, Gusshausstr. 27, A-1040 Vienn (Austria)]; Lemell, Ch [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Technische Universitaet Wien, Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8, A-1040 Vienna (Austria)]; Paulus, G G [Texas A and M University, Physics Department, College Station, TX 77843-4242 (United States)]; Kakehata, M [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568 (Japan)]; Holzwarth, R [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)]; Udem, Th [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)]; Torizuka, K [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568 (Japan)]; Burgdoerfer, J [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Technische Universitaet Wien, Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8, A-1040 Vienna (Austria)]; Haensch, T W [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)]; Krausz, F [Institut fuer Photonik, Technische Universitaet Wien, Gusshausstr. 27, A-1040 Vienna (Austria)] 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; CHARGE CARRIERS; EVOLUTION; GOLD; LASERS; PHOTOELECTRIC EMISSION; PHOTONS; PULSES; SIMULATION; SURFACES; VISIBLE RADIATION We demonstrate a solid-state device capable of providing direct information about the carrier-envelope (CE) phase of ultrashort (4 fs) laser pulses. The measurement is based on multi-photon-induced photoelectron emission from a gold surface. The amount of the charge emitted from the surface gives a clear indication of phase sensitivity, as predicted by our simulations and also by a simple intuitive model. This phenomenon was used to determine the CE phase value of each laser pulse in a mode-locked, unamplified, low-energy pulse train. The inability of the commonly used f-to-2f interferometric method to measure accurately extracavity drifts of the CE phase is discussed and contrasted with the direct phase measurement method proposed here. The evolution of the CE phase upon propagation of pulses comparable in duration to the optical cycle is analysed. Institute of Automation and Electrometry, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation) Available online at http://stacks.iop.org/1367-2630/6/39/njp4_1_039.pdf or at the Web site for the journal New Journal of Physics (ISSN 1367-2630) http://www.iop.org/;INIS United Kingdom 2004-03-01 English Journal Article Journal Name: New Journal of Physics; Journal Volume: 6; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: PII: S1367-2630(04)74660-1; DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/6/1/039; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); PBD: 1 Mar 2004 Medium: X; Size: page(s) 39 https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/6/1/039 [] 1 6 Journal ID: ISSN 1367-2630; TRN: GB04P1857083379 GBN 2010-12-31 20514542