An ultrahigh-speed optical waveform measurement method based on optical sampling with sum-frequency generation

• Published in: Electronics & communications in Japan. Part 1, Communications Communications, 1993, Vol.76 (10), p.1-11
• Main Authors: Takara, Hidehiko, Kawanishi, Satoki, Yamabayashi, Yoshiaki, Saruwataris, Masatoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Optical sampling; S/N ratio; sum frequency generation; time resolution; ultrashort optical pulse
• ISSN: 8756-6621; 1520-6424
• DOI: 10.1002/ecja.4410761001

To realize a future high‐speed and ultralarge‐capacity optical transmission, it is indispensable to analyze the ultrahigh‐speed transmission characteristics of the entire system as well as functional circuits, devices and materials comprising the system. Evaluation of such a transmission characteristic requires ultrahigh‐speed optical waveform measurement method. In this paper, a new optical waveform measurement method called the sum frequency generation (SFG) optical sampling method is proposed. In this method, the SFG which is a second‐order nonlinear optical effect is used for all‐optically sampling the optical waveform to be measured (at the optical stage) by means of an ultrashort optical gate pulse. Hence, the bandwidth limitation of the optical receivers and the electronics can be eliminated. By means of this technique, accurate measurement without waveform distortions can be realized while high time resolution and high S/N ratios are maintained. In this paper, the theoretical performance of the present measurement technique is discussed and the measured results by the present method are presented.