Novel method of optical pulse characterization using sinusoidal optical phase modulations

A simple non-iterative electric field retrieval method using a sinusoidally driven optical phase modulator is demonstrated. We derive an analytic relation between the two-point frequency correlation function of the electric field and the derivative spectra of the phase modulated optical signal and use it to retrieve the electric field of the signal under test. We validate the technique by demonstrating accurate and sensitive characterization of picosecond pulses used in telecommunication.