Third-Order Dispersion Compensation for Resolution Enhancement in RF Interferometry

In this work, a TOD compensation technique is presented for RF interferometry in order to improve considerably the system resolution. Typically, the dispersive element that is considered in a RF interferometry application introduces non-desired effects as the third-order dispersion (TOD). In that case, the TOD produces a degradation in the system response, affecting key parameters as resolution or sensitivity. By upgrading the reference mirror functionality to a phase filter, our approach control and compensate the degrading effects produced by the TOD of the dispersive element. Therefore, parameters as sensitivity and resolution are highly improved. A resolution value of 28 mu m is experimentally demonstrated.