Multiplexed Signal Recovery for Ultrafast Diagnostics

There is a growing need for high bandwidth (greater than 2 terahertz) long duration optical waveform measurement in telecommunications, laser development, and data collection from optically encoded sensors.Sensor monitoring requires multiplexing multiple sensors for cost reduction.The system must also be able to completely characterize laser driver pulses at multiple locations, providing the intensity and phase of the laser pulse with sub-picosecond time resolution. This SBIR project is developing a new technology to record the intensity and phase of optical waveforms from sensors, or the intensity and phase of fusion driver laser pulses, with terahertz bandwidths and time windows spanning more than several nanoseconds.Our technology will be single-shot and robust, allowing many sensors to be multiplexed into one digitizer system by delaying the waveforms from each sensor while recording data continuously. In Phase I, we constructed a breadboard ultrafast signal recovery system and conducted a proofof- principle demonstration of our new technology using repeating waveforms.The system had a bandwidth of more than 2 terahertz, a time window of 1.8 ns, and a dynamic range of more than 40 decibels.In Phase II, we designed and built an innovative hybrid electronic-optical pulse characterization system that can measure pulses shorter than 100 femtoseconds using only gigahertz electronics and demonstrated single shot pulse measurement over a 2 terahertz bandpass at rates of up to 4 megahertz. The Phase IIB project is designed to facilitate commercialization by shifting our design strategy to the strengths of the proposed technology that is demonstrated in Phase II.The possibilities of extension of the foundation technology to extended temporal waveforms and other wavelengths will be explored.We will verify key specifications required for the commercial instrument and will finalize system design. Our improved optical waveform digitizer system will significantly transform the oscilloscope market.Our system will be less expensive, leveraging commercially available components to provide better than state-of-the-art electronics bandwidth and recording capabilities at lower cost.Our developments will have applications in laser development, silicon photonics and telecommunications.