Abstract: Practical third-order frequency-resolved optical grating (FROG) techniques for characterization of ultrashort optical pulses are disclosed. The techniques are particularly suited to the measurement of single and/or weak optical pulses having pulse durations in the picosecond and subpicosecond regime. The relative quantum inefficiency of third-order nonlinear optical effects is compensated for through i) use of phase-matched transient grating beam geometry to maximize interaction length, and ii) use of interface-enhanced third-harmonic generation.