  In this tutorial we provide a short review of attosecond pulse
characterization techniques and a pedagogical account of a recently proposed
method called Pulse Analysis by Delayed Absorption (PANDA) [Pabst and
Dahlstr\"om, Phys. Rev. A, 94, 13411 (2016)]. We discuss possible
implementations of PANDA in alkali atoms using either principal quantum number
wave packets or spin-orbit wave packets. The main merit of the PANDA method is
that it can be used as a pulse characterization method that is free from atomic
latency effects, such as scattering phase shifts and long-lived atomic
resonances. Finally, we propose that combining the PANDA method with
angle-resolved photoelectron detection should allow for experimental
measurements of attosecond delays in photoionization from bound wave packets on
the order of tens of attoseconds.
