All-optical high-frequency characterization of optical devices for optomicrowave applications

In this letter, we present an original method to investigate the frequency response of optomicrowave devices in the GHz-THz range. In order to reach s uch a high bandwidth, we take advantage of the wide spectrum associated wit h femtosecond laser pulses, Using nonlinear crosscorrelation optical techni que under appropriate conditions, the transfer function of a device is deri ved from its measured impulse response. We experimentally demonstrate our m ethod by testing an integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer, which acts as a notch filter for modulation frequencies that are odd multiples of 15 GHz.