Linear Optical Sampling up to 640 Gb/s Using a Waveguide 90deg Optical Hybrid
01 January 2005
The concept of linear optical sampling, which temporarily characterizes am optical source using the amplitude of the interference of its electric field with the electric field of a short laser pulse, is implemented using a 90deg optical hybrid made in silica. The hybrid combines the two sources and sets the relative phase between two quadratures of their interferometric component so that the phase sensitivity inherent to linear optics is removed. Sampling of picosecond pulses and eye diagrams up to 640 Gb/s with high sensitivity and temporal resolution is demonstrated.