Complete characterization of periodic optical sources by use of sampled test-plus-reference interferometry
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Updated: Aug 2, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
Published on: August 12, 2013
1Bell Laboratories-Lucent Technologies, 791 Holmdel-Keyport Road, Holmdel, New Jersey 07733, USA. dorrer@lucent.com
Abstract:
An interferometric technique measuring the time-dependent electric field of a periodic optical source that uses samples of its interference with a reference source of short optical pulses is presented. Compared with other test-plus-reference techniques such as spectral interferometry and Fourier-transform spectroscopy, the technique is applicable when the signal under test and the reference signal do not originate from the same source. It is highly sensitive and allows the direct real-time characterization of optical sources and the extraction of a coherent periodic signal in an incoherent background.
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