INCIPIT · Integrated Nonlinear complete Characterization of low-Intensity ultrafast optical Pulse In real Time

In the framework of signal transport, photonics has already demonstrated its superior performance over electronic approaches and it is therefore critical that short optical pulse monitoring will be capable of measuring an optical signal in its whole complex nature – i.e., in both amplitude and phase. With the relentless increase in optical channel bit rates and the recent global trend towards optically coherent communications, standard amplitude characterization using fast photodiodes is becoming insufficient to diagnose pulse propagation, where phase dependent phenomena such as dispersion and the nonlinear field-fiber interaction must be monitored. In addition, many optical fundamental phenomena involve optical pulse characteristics presenting shot-to-shot fluctuations that need to be accessed in real-time – i.e. at the repetition rate of the optical sourceThe main goal of this research project is to develop a technology for the “on-chip” real-time measurement of ultrafast optical pulses in both amplitude and phase, in platforms compatible with electronic fabrication technologies.The proposed approach is based on all-optical sheared interferometry (SPIDER) implemented in nonlinear integrated waveguides allowing direct electric-field reconstruction, completed with a Fourier transform integrated system enabling the real-time single-shot measurement feature of the device. The proposed study will focus on the possibility to integrate this method on electronics-compatible platforms. Taking advantage of the high nonlinearity exhibited by tightly confining waveguides, the “real-time integrated complex optical oscilloscope” we are proposing here will provide an unprecedented performance, according to the needs of next-generation photonic information processing applications (optical communications, ultra-fast computing, etc.).""