Optical periodic code matching by single-shot broadband frequency-domain cross-correlation

We introduce and experimentally demonstrate a simple and reliable optical technique for matching between two periodic numerical sequences based on optical single-shot measurement of their broadband cross-correlation function in the frequency domain. Each sequence is optically encoded into the shape of the different broadband femtosecond pulse using pulse-shaping techniques. The two corresponding shaped pulses are mixed in a nonlinear medium together with an additional (amplitude-shaped) narrowband pulse. The spectrum of the resulting four-wave mixing signal is measured to provide the cross-correlation function of the two encoded sequences. For identical sequences it is the auto-correlation function that is being measured, allowing also the identification of the sequence period. The high contrast achieved here between cross-correlation and auto-correlation functions allows to determine with a very high reliability whether the two encoded sequences are identical or not. The demonstrated technique might be employed in an optical implementation of CDMA communication protocol. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America