Method and apparatus for polarization-independent RF spectrum analysis of an optical source

1. An apparatus for polarization-independent RF spectrum analysis of an optical source under test, comprising:

a coupler for coupling the light from the optical source under test with light from a continuous-wave (CW) laser to generate a combined signal, wherein the light from the optical source under test has an unspecified polarization state;

a nonlinear apparatus coupled to the coupler for modulating the electric field of the light from the CW laser using the temporal intensity of the light from the optical source under test to generate a modulated signal substantially at the center frequency of the CW laser,

wherein optical signals passing through the nonlinear apparatus undergo a nonlinear interaction selected from a group consisting of cross-phase modulation and cross-gain modulation, and

wherein the nonlinear apparatus is adapted to mitigate or compensate for any phase difference between polarization components of the optical signals propagated through the nonlinear apparatus;

a polarizer coupled to the nonlinear apparatus for generating a linearly polarized signal from the modulated signal; and

an optical spectrum analyzer coupled to the polarizer for measuring the optical spectrum of the linearly polarized signal to determine the RF spectrum of the optical source under test,

wherein the measured optical spectrum is defined by:

I′″ (ω)=|α| 2 ·|∫ I (t)·exp[ i (ω-ω 0 ) t]dt| 2 ,

after omission of a Dirac function at the optical frequency ω 0 ; and the RF spectrum of the source under test, which is defined by:

S (Ω)=|∫ I ( t )·exp( iΩt ) dt| 2 ,

and is given by the optical spectrum measured at the optical frequency

ω=ω 0 +Ω.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nonlinear apparatus includes:

a polarization maintaining nonlinear medium; and

a compensator device coupled to the nonlinear medium which compensates any phase difference between polarization components of the signals propagated through the nonlinear apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nonlinear apparatus includes:

a first polarization maintaining nonlinear medium; and

a second polarization maintaining nonlinear medium coupled to the first polarization maintaining nonlinear medium, having axes which are rotated by about 90° relative to the first polarization maintaining nonlinear medium, such that the combined signal traverses the first and second polarization maintaining nonlinear media along the same optical path.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nonlinear apparatus includes:

a circulator coupled to the coupler;

a polarization maintaining nonlinear medium coupled to the circulator;

and a reflector coupled to the polarization maintaining nonlinear medium;

wherein the circulator, the nonlinear medium, and the reflector are operatively coupled such that combined signals from the coupler are routed by the circulator through the nonlinear medium, reflected off of the reflector back through the nonlinear medium, and routed by the circulator to the polarizer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nonlinear apparatus includes:

a circulator coupled to the coupler;

a polarizing beam splitter coupled to the circulator; and

a nonlinear medium coupled to the polarizing beam splitter;

wherein the circulator, the polarizing beam splitter, and the nonlinear medium are operatively coupled such that combined signals from the coupler are routed by the circulator through the polarizing beam splitter, whereby polarization components of the combined signal are counter-propagated along the same polarization mode through the nonlinear medium, recombined by the polarizing beam splitter, propagated back through the circulator, and routed through the polarizer.

6. A method for polarization-independent RF spectrum analysis of an optical source under test comprising:

coupling the light from the optical source under test with light from a continuous-wave (CW) laser to generate a combined signal, wherein the from the optical source under test has an unspecified polarization state;

propagating the combined signal through a nonlinear apparatus to generate a modulated signal substantially at the center frequency of the OW laser;and

substantially compensating for any phase delay due to propagation of the combined signal through the nonlinear medium; and

linearly polarizing the modulated signal; and

measuring the optical spectrum of the linearly polarized modulated signal to determine the RF spectrum of the optical source under test;

wherein the nonlinear apparatus comprises a nonlinear medium for modulating the electric field of the light from the OW laser using the temporal intensity of the light from the source under test; and

wherein the measured optical spectrum is defined by:

I′″ (ω)=|α| 2 ·|∫ I (t)·exp[ i (ω-ω 0 ) t]dt| 2 ,

after omission of a Dirac function at the optical frequency ω 0 ; and the RF spectrum of the source under test, which is defined by:

S (Ω)=|∫ I ( t )·exp( iΩt ) dt| 2 ,

and is given by the optical spectrum measured at the optical frequency

ω=ω 0 +Ω.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of modulating is affected by a nonlinear interaction selected from a group consisting of cross-phase modulation and cross-gain modulation.

8. A method for polarization-independent RF spectrum analysis of an optical source under test comprising:

coupling the light from the optical source under test with light from a continuous-wave (CW) laser to generate a combined signal, wherein the from the optical source under test has an unspecified polarization state;

propagating the combined signal through a nonlinear apparatus to generate a modulated signal substantially at the center frequency of the CW laser;

linearly polarizing the modulated signal; and

measuring the optical spectrum of the linearly polarized modulated signal to determine the RF spectrum of the optical source under test;

wherein the nonlinear apparatus comprises a nonlinear medium for modulating the electric field of the light from the CW laser using the temporal intensity of the light from the source under test; and

wherein the nonlinear apparatus is adapted to substantially avoid phase delay between polarization components of the combined signal; and

wherein the measured optical spectrum is defined by:

I′″ (ω)=|α| 2 ·|∫ I (t)·exp[ i (ω-ω 0 ) t]dt| 2 ,

after omission of a Dirac function at the optical frequency ω 0 ; and the RF spectrum of the source under test, which is defined by:

S (Ω)=|∫ I ( t )·exp( iΩt ) dt| 2 ,

and is given by the optical spectrum measured at the optical frequency

ω=ω 0 +Ω.