Method and apparatus for measuring the RF spectrum of an optical signal
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorChristophe J. Dorrer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring the RF spectrum of an optical signal under test includes combining an optical signal under test with a quasimonochromatic continuous signal to produce a combined signal, imparting a third order nonlinear effect on the combined signal such that a temporal intensity of the optical signal under test component of the combined signal modulates the electric field of the quasimonochromatic continuous signal component of the combined signal, and measuring the optical spectrum of the combined signal to determine the RF spectrum of the optical signal under test.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- combining an optical signal under test with a quasimonochromatic continuous signal to produce a combined signal;
- imparting a third order nonlinear effect on said combined signal such that a temporal intensity of the optical signal under test component of the combined signal modulates the electric field of the quasimonochromatic continuous signal component of the combined signal;
- and
- measuring the optical spectrum of the combined signal to determine an RF spectrum of the optical signal under test.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a quasimonochromatic continuous light source;
- and
- a nonlinear medium adapted to impart third order nonlinearities to optical signals passing therethrough;
- wherein said apparatus is adapted to combine an input signal under test with a signal from said quasimonochromatic continuous light source to produce a combined signal, and to propagate said combined signal along the nonlinear medium, the nonlinear medium imparting a third order nonlinear effect on said combined signal such that a temporal intensity of the optical signal under test component of the combined signal modulates the electric field of the quasimonochromatic continuous signal component of the combined signal.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a tunable quasimonochromatic continuous light source;
- and
- a nonlinear medium adapted to impart third order nonlinearities to optical signals passing therethrough;
- wherein said apparatus is adapted to combine an input signal under test with a signal from said tunable quasimonochromatic continuous light source to produce a combined signal, and to propagate said combined signal along the nonlinear medium, the nonlinear medium imparting a third order nonlinear effect on said combined signal such that a temporal intensity of the optical signal under test component of the combined signal modulates the electric field of the tunable quasimonochromatic continuous signal component of the combined signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.