We present the procedure for measuring self-phase modulation of ultrashort laser pulses focused in gases by use of the spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER) technique. We tested the device, which employs a noncollinear type I frequency mixing scheme, by measuring the phase induced by group-velocity dispersion either in a piece of glass or in the compressor of the laser system. Both results were validated by comparison with the expected values. The phase that resulted from self-phase modulation in H-2 gas or atmospheric air was then measured and compared with calculations based on a Gaussian beam assumption. A new estimate of the nonlinear index of refraction of H-2 at 800 nm was deduced. The data recorded in atmospheric air are in good agreement with the reported value of the nonlinear index measured with spectral methods. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America. [References: 11]
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