Abstract
We present a detailed discussion of a recently demonstrated experimental technique capable of measuring the correlation function of a pulsed light source with picosecond time resolution. The measurement involves a streak camera in single photon counting mode, which is modified such that a signal at a fixed repetition rate, and well defined energy, can be monitored after each pulsed laser excitation. The technique provides further insight into the quantum optical properties of pulsed light emission from semiconductor nanostructures, and the dynamics inside a pulse, on the sub-nanosecond time scale.
Highlights
In few cases is the mean intensity sufficient for a complete characterization of a light field
Whether the real intensity correlation function can be measured, the time resolution has to be compared to the coherence time of the light investigated [8]
Detection with avalanche photodiodes (APDs) leads to averaging over the fluctuations of the correlation function that occur during the detection time, so that important information is blurred, for example concerning the transition from spontaneous to stimulated emission in microlaser structures, where the dynamics of interest take place on a picosecond time scale
Summary
In few cases is the mean intensity sufficient for a complete characterization of a light field. Whether the real (i.e. not masked by the finite experimental time resolution) intensity correlation function can be measured, the time resolution has to be compared to the coherence time of the light investigated [8]. Detection with APDs leads to averaging over the fluctuations of the correlation function that occur during the detection time, so that important information is blurred, for example concerning the transition from spontaneous to stimulated emission in microlaser structures, where the dynamics of interest take place on a picosecond time scale. In order to obtain insight into this jitter, the correlation function has to be measured with a time resolution matching the light emission dynamics
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