Heterodyne detection of swept-carrier frequency-selective optical memory signals

Swept-carrier time-domain optical memories [Opt. Lett. 17, 535 (1992)] are unique in that memory output signals occur cotemporally with the excitation field (read field) responsible for their generation. We demonstrate that this fact provides for the convenient detection of memory signals through their heterodyne interference with the cotemporal read field. Memory implementation is dramatically simplified.