  Frequency to time mapping is a powerful technique for observing ultrafast
phenomena and non-repetitive events in optics. However, many optical sources
operate in wavelength regions, or at power levels, that are not compatible with
standard frequency to time mapping implementations. The recently developed
free-space angular chirp enhanced delay (FACED) removes many of these
limitations, and offers a linear frequency to time mapping in any wavelength
region where high-reflectivity mirrors and diffractive optics are available. In
this work, we present a detailed formulation of the optical transfer function
of a FACED device. Experimentally, we verify the properties of this transfer
function, and then present simple guidelines to guarantee the correct operation
of a FACED frequency to time measurement. We also experimentally demonstrate
the real-time spectral analysis of femtosecond and picosecond pulses using this
system.
