Spectrum-modulation method for measuring the amplitude and phase characteristics of time-varying optical signals and transfer functions

Abstract

The solution of the phase problem in optics, as applied to the determination of the amplitude and phase characteristics of optical signals varying in time and of the transfer functions of media transmitting the signals, is considered. The solution of this problem is based on using the spectrum-modulation method. In particular, the possibility of studying ultrashort processes is considered. The analysis was performed by probing the medium with an optical signal of an arbitrary structure. To obtain the information required, we used a four-channel optical arrangement with a spectral instrument, which records the intensity distributions directly for the signal under study after it passed through the medium; for the signal that was preliminary modulated in the specific manner and then passed through the medium; for the signal that was additionally modulated after passing through the medium; and for the signal that was additionally modulated both before and after passing through the medium. Each of these modulations should provide, to some extent, visualization of the phase information. Two variants of analysis were considered. In the first variant, the influence of the medium to be analyzed on the radiation considered is represented as modulation of the latter in time. The second variant is associated with studying the medium, whose influence on the signal brings about time-redistribution of the radiation and is described by a convolution operation.