Silicon-chip-based ultrafast optical oscilloscope

Mark A. Foster, Reza Salem, David F. Geraghty, Amy C. Turner-Foster, Michal Lipson and Alexander L. Gaeta ()
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Mark A. Foster: School of Applied and Engineering Physics,
Reza Salem: School of Applied and Engineering Physics,
David F. Geraghty: School of Applied and Engineering Physics,
Amy C. Turner-Foster: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
Michal Lipson: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
Alexander L. Gaeta: School of Applied and Engineering Physics,

Nature, 2008, vol. 456, issue 7218, 81-84

Abstract: Scope for improvement The latest state-of-the-art oscilloscopes can achieve single-shot waveform measurements with a resolution of about 30 picoseconds. But ever greater telecommunication data rates and an expanding interest in ultrafast chemical and physical phenomena mean that there is now a demand for devices that measure optical waveforms with subpicosecond resolution. The sensitivity of conventional oscilloscopes is limited by the electronic bandwidth of photodetectors and circuits. Now Foster et al. demonstrate an all-optical method for real-time measurement of temporal optical waveforms with a resolution a hundredfold higher than electronic techniques. The heart of the device is a silicon photonic chip made with the same materials and techniques as standard microprocessors but which manipulates photons instead of electrons. The potential integration of this device in microelectronics could produce an instrument that could be used in many branches of science where simple measurements of optical waveforms are required.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07430

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