Method and apparatus for characterization of the response of optical devices

A method for characterizing an optical device comprising:

• splitting a source optical signal into a first optical signal and a reference signal;
• modulating the first optical signal using the optical device with complex transmission R(t) to produce a modulated first optical signal;
• splitting the modulated first optical signal into a first split modulated signal and a second split modulated signal;
• splitting the reference signal to produce a first split reference signal and a second split reference signal;
• combining the first split modulated signal with the first split reference signal thereby producing a fifth and sixth signals;
• combining the second split modulated signal with the second split reference signal thereby producing a seventh and eighth signals;
• measuring the intensity of the fifth and sixth signals;
• subtracting the measured intensity of the fifth and sixth signals thereby producing a first electrical signal;
• measuring the intensity of the seventh and eighth signals;
• subtracting the measured intensity of the seventh and eighth signals thereby producing a second electrical signal;
• and
• combining the first and second electrical signals, wherein the combined first and second electrical signals represents the response of the optical device.

An apparatus for characterizing an optical device comprising:

• an optical device for modulating a first optical signal having a first optical frequency to produce a modulated first optical signal;
• a coupler for combining the modulated first optical signal with a second optical signal having a second optical frequency to produce thereby a combined optical signal, wherein the first optical frequency and the second optical frequency are selected such that the difference between the first optical frequency and the second optical frequency does not overlap with a spectrum of transmission of the optical device;
• and
• a photodetector and electronics for measuring the intensity of the combined optical signal.

An apparatus for characterizing an optical device comprising:

• a splitter for splitting a source optical signal into a first optical signal and a reference signal;
• an optical device for modulating the first optical signal to produce a modulated first optical signal;
• an optical hybrid structure for splitting both the modulated first signal and the reference signal and for producing a fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth optical signals;
• a group of photodetectors for measuring the intensity of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth optical signals
• a first subtracter for subtracting the intensity of the fifth and sixth optical signals thereby producing a first electrical signal;
• a second subtracter for subtracting the intensity of the seventh and eighth signals thereby producing a second electrical signal;
• a measuring device for combining the first and second electrical signals, wherein the combined first and second electrical signals represent the response of the optical device.