Simultaneous sampling of optical pulse intensities and wavelengths by four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier

An all-optical sampling technique that allows the simultaneous measurement of optical pulse intensities and wavelengths with a temporal resolution of about 1 ps is introduced. Using four-wave mixing (FWM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier, the optical signal under test is cross correlated with nearly transform-limited 1.4 ps optical sampling pulses. While the intensity of the generated FWM signal is used to determine the temporal shape of the signal intensity, the wavelength of the FWM signal yields time-resolved information about the signal wavelength (i.e., the frequency chirp). Using this technique, the correlation of intensity and wavelength dynamics of pulses generated by a self-Q-switched distributed-feedback laser is determined directly.