Group velocity dispersion measurement method using sinusoidally phase-modulated continuous wave light based on cyclic nature of optical waveform change by group velocity dispersion

Abstract

We show that any optical pulse train recovers its original waveform after passing through a group velocity dispersion (GVD) device when the total GVD value of the device is equal to an integral multiple of $1/(2\pi {f_{\text{rep}}}^2)$, where $f_{\text{rep}}$ is the repetition rate of the optical pulse train. In addition, we detail our proposed GVD measurement method, or optical phase-modulation (PM) method, which utilizes a sinusoidally PM continuous wave (CW) light as a probe light. The total GVD $B_2$ of a device under test (DUT) is derived by using a very simple equation, $|B_2|=1/(2\pi {f_{\text{null}}}^2)$, where $f_{\text{null}}$ is the smallest modulation frequency at which the sinusoidally PM light becomes CW light again after passing through the DUT.

© 2010 Optical Society of America