Method and apparatus for measuring a factor characterizing a balanced detection device

1. A method for measuring a factor characterizing a balanced detection device, said balanced detection device including a pair of input waveguides, a pair of output waveguides respectively connected to a pair of photodiodes coupled to generate a differential output current, and an optical mixing element coupling light between the input waveguides and the output waveguides, the method comprising the steps of:

a) injecting, via an optical assembly, a pair of modulated dual-port test signals in the pair of input waveguides, respectively, the dual-port test signals having a same optical power and a relative phase φ therebetween;

b) measuring the differential output current of said photodiodes for values of said relative phase φ corresponding to light primarily reaching each one of the photodiodes, thereby obtaining maximized differential output currents ΔI 1 and ΔI 2 ;

c) injecting, via said optical assembly, a modulated single-port test signal in a single one of the input waveguides, the single-port test signal having an optical power corresponding to four times the optical power of each of the dual-port test signals, and measuring the corresponding differential output current, thereby obtaining a single-port differential output current ΔI 0 ; and

d) calculating a single-port rejection ratio SPRR corresponding to the ratio of the single-port differential output current ΔI 0 to the sum of the maximized differential output currents ΔI 1 and ΔI 2 .

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step b) comprises the substeps of:

i. gradually shifting a phase of at least one of the dual-port test signal to vary the relative phase φ over time;

ii. measuring a variation of the differential output current as a function of the relative phase;

iii. identifying two distinct maxima in said variation of the differential output current; and

iv. setting the dual-port differential output currents ΔI 1 and ΔI 2 to said maxima, respectively.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step b) comprises the substeps of:

i. gradually shifting a phase of at least one of the dual-port test signal to vary the relative phase φ over time;

ii. measuring a variation of the differential output current as a function of the relative phase;

iii. identifying a single maximum in said variation of the differential output current; and

iv. setting both of the dual-port differential output currents ΔI 1 and ΔI 2 to said single maximum.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising a preliminary step prior to step a) of generating, via said optical assembly, a seed light signal and modulating the same, thereby obtaining a modulated seed signal, and wherein:

steps a) comprise splitting the modulated seed light signal into two components thereof and using said components as the pair of dual-port test signals; and

step c) comprises using the modulated seed light signal as the single-port test signal.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step a) comprises varying a polarisation state of at least one of said dual-port test signals over time, measuring a variation of the differential output current as a function of said polarisation state, and fixing said polarisation state of at least one of said dual-port test signals to a setting for which said differential output current is maximum.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein steps a) and c) each comprises measuring and adjusting the optical power of the corresponding test signals prior to injecting the same into the input waveguides.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step a) comprises delaying at least one of said dual-port test signals, thereby varying a relative delay between said dual-port test signals, measuring a variation of the differential output current as a function of said relative delay, and fixing said relative delay to a value for which said differential output current is maximum.

8. The method according to claim 1 , comprising performing, sequentially, the injecting of steps c) in each of said input waveguides, and performing the calculating of step d) using the single-port differential output current measured at each performing of step c), thereby obtaining a value for the SPRR associated with each of said input waveguides.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said balance detection device comprises a plurality of said pairs of input waveguides, output waveguides and photodiodes, the steps of said method being performed so as to obtain a value for the SPRR associated with each of the input waveguides of each of said pairs thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising performing said steps a) to d) for a plurality of repetitions using test signals, and changing a modulation frequency of said test signals for each repetition, thereby characterizing a modulation frequency dependence of the SPRR.

11. An apparatus for measuring a factor characterizing a balanced detection device, said balanced detection device including a pair of input waveguides, a pair of output waveguides respectively connected to a pair of photodiodes coupled to generate a differential output current, and an optical mixing element coupling light between the input waveguides and the output waveguides, the apparatus comprising:

an optical assembly comprising a light source assembly for generating a modulated seed light signal, a splitter for splitting the modulated seed light signal into two light components thereof, first and second signal branches having inputs connected to the splitter for respectively receiving the components of the modulated seed light signal therefrom and outputs operatively connectable the pair of input waveguides of the balanced detection device, said optical assembly further comprising a phase modulator provided in one of the first and second branches for varying a phase of the light component therein; and

a controller connectable to the balanced detection device to receive therefrom the differential output current, said controller controlling the optical assembly to perform the following steps:

a) injecting a pair of modulated dual-ports test signals in the pair of input waveguides, respectively, the dual-ports test signals having a same optical power and a relative phase φ therebetween;

b) measuring the differential output current of said photodiodes for values of said relative phase φ corresponding to light primarily reaching each one of the photodiodes, thereby obtaining maximized differential output currents ΔI 1 and ΔI 2 ;

c) injecting a modulated single-port test signal in a single one of the input waveguides, the single-port test signal having an optical power corresponding to four times the optical power of each of the dual-port test signals, and measuring the corresponding differential output current, thereby obtaining a single-port differential output current ΔI 0 ; and

d) calculating a single-port rejection ratio SPRR corresponding to the ratio of the single-port differential output current ΔI 0 to the sum of the maximized differential output currents ΔI 1 and ΔI 2 .

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the light source assembly includes a laser source generating a seed light signal and an amplitude modulator downstream the laser source for modulating said seed light signal, thereby obtaining the modulated seed light signal.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein, to perform step b) the controller controls the phase modulator gradually shifting a phase of at least one of the dual-port test signal to vary the relative phase φ over time, receives a variation of the differential output current as a function of the relative phase, identifies two distinct maxima in said variation of the differential output current, and sets the dual-port differential output currents ΔI 1 and ΔI 2 to said maxima, respectively.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein, to perform step b) the controller controls the phase modulator gradually shifting a phase of at least one of the dual-port test signal to vary the relative phase φ over time, receives a variation of the differential output current as a function of the relative phase, identifies a single maximum in said variation of the differential output current and sets both of the dual-port differential output currents ΔI 1 and ΔI 2 to said single maximum.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said optical assembly comprises a polarisation controller in at least one of said signal branches.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said optical assembly comprises a variable optical attenuator provided in at least one of said signal branches.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said optical assembly comprises a variable delay line in at least one of said signal branches.