Near quantum-limited, single-shot coherent arbitrary optical waveform measurements

Four-quadrature spectral interferometry using balanced coherent detection enables single-shot full-field characterization of complex-shaped optical waveforms with near quantum-limited sensitivity. A 90 optical hybrid places a waveform in four-quadrature-phases with a stronger, well-characterized reference pulse. Measurement of the four spectra with an integrating two-dimensional detector array followed by balanced detection uniquely determines the signal field. Balanced coherent detection provides common-mode noise rejection and coherent gain enabling near quantum-limited sensitivity. The single-shot waveform was temporally gated from a 100 ps periodic train of arbitrary optical waveforms generated using line-by-line pulse shaping on a 10 GHz optical frequency comb. The measurements show arbitrary waveforms with 200-ps record lengths, 500 GHz optical bandwidths and only 1200 detected photons. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America