Polarization line-by-line pulse shaping for the implementation of vectorial temporal Talbot effect

Abstract

Vectorial optical arbitrary waveform generation is experimentally demonstrated by applying polarization line-by-line pulse shaping on a phase-modulated continuous laser frequency comb. Polarization shaped optical waveforms extending a 50-ps time window are successfully synthesized. Temporal Talbot effect is extended into the vectorial regime, where the distinct periodic temporal phases of the two orthogonally polarized pulse trains are exploited. In one example, we generate repetition-rate doubled circularly polarized pulses with alternating pulse-by-pulse handedness. In another example, complex instantaneous field polarizations are synthesized through the combination of line-by-line amplitude and temporal Talbot phase shaping. Our experimental results are measured through a dual-quadrature spectral interferometry system and are found in excellent agreements to the applied shaping controls.

All-optical self-referencing measurement of vectorial optical arbitrary waveform

“…The marriage between optical frequency combs and polarization line-by-line pulse shaping opens access to vectorial optical arbitrary waveform (V-OAW) with ultrafast evolution of amplitude, phase, state of polarization (SOP) that can span up to the entire repetition period (100% duty cycle) [1]. Scalar OAW (with static SOP) and vectorial ultrashort pulse (with small duty cycle) have been applied to radio-frequency (RF) photonics [2], intensity repetition rate multiplication of a pulse train [3], isolated attosecond burst generation [4], and selective spatiotemporal excitations with nanometer and femtosecond resolutions [5], respectively.…”

“…This would make TURTLE applicable to V-OAW, however, it is subject to significant data redundancy, time-consuming iteration, probable sign ambiguity of τ xy and θ [in the event of |A x (ω)| = |A y (ω)| and φ x (ω) = φ y (ω)] [19] and has not been experimentally demonstrated in measuring vectorial ultrashort pulse or V-OAW. In our earlier demonstration of vectorial temporal Talbot effect [1], φ x (ω), φ y (ω), τ xy and θ were individually measured by optimizing the second-harmonic yields with a pulse shaper, dual quadrature spectral interferometry (DQ-SI), and monochromatic phase-scanning interferometry, respectively (please refer to Section 3.1). The 4-step approach may not be practically useful because of its high complexity, slow data acquisition, and the requirement of a well-characterized optical reference with interferometric stability.…”

Self-referenced frequency comb measurement by using a polarization line-by-line pulse shaper

“…OAWs have been applied to radio-frequency (RF) photonics [2], synthesis of sub-cycle optical fields [3], and generation and delivery of 496 GHz optical pulse trains over 25 km fiber links in the absence of dispersion compensation fiber through the temporal Talbot effect [4]. Furthermore, full vectorial OAW with timevarying state of polarization was recently demonstrated by using a polarization line-by-line pulse shaper [5].However, OAW cannot be characterized by conventional pulse measurement techniques that need to split the signal pulse into two isolated replicas [6-9]. Dual-quadrature spectral interferometry [10] and parallel optical homodyne detection followed by high-speed digitization [11], have been used in OAW characterization, provided that a well characterized broadband optical reference pulse is available.…”

“…OAWs have been applied to radio-frequency (RF) photonics [2], synthesis of sub-cycle optical fields [3], and generation and delivery of 496 GHz optical pulse trains over 25 km fiber links in the absence of dispersion compensation fiber through the temporal Talbot effect [4]. Furthermore, full vectorial OAW with timevarying state of polarization was recently demonstrated by using a polarization line-by-line pulse shaper [5].…”

“…One of the unique features of OAW is that the intensity repetition-rate can be multiplied via the temporal Talbot effect [4,5]. In the third case, the intensity repetitionrate was doubled [ Fig.…”