  A comprehensive experimental analysis of spatio-temporal coupling effects
inherent to the acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter (AOPDF) is
presented. Phase and amplitude measurements of the AOPDF transfer function are
performed using spatially and spectrally resolved interferometry.
Spatio-temporal and spatio-spectral coupling effects are presented for a range
of shaped pulses that are commonly used in quantum control experiments. These
effects are shown to be attributable to a single mechanism: a
group-delay--dependent displacement of the shaped pulse. The physical mechanism
is explained and excellent quantitative agreement between the measured and
calculated coupling speed is obtained. The implications for quantum control
experiments are discussed.
