Simple method for the complete characterization of an optical pulse

A novel and simple method to measure the amplitude and the phase of optical pulses is presented. The technique basically involves modulating the optical pulse train in a particular manner and then directly examining the resultant optical spectrum. This experimental measurement technique, which is extremely accurate and sensitive and can be implemented with an all-fiber setup, permits direct measurement of the phase of the optical signal in the frequency domain. Experimental results demonstrate the use of this measurement technique for characterizing optical pulses at 10 GHz from a gain-switched laser diode. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.