Programmable ultrashort optical pulse delay using an acousto-optic deflector

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Acousto-Optics
• Optical Memory Systems

Background:

• Ultrashort optical pulses possess broad spectra, leading to chromatic dispersion.
• Accurate control of optical pulse timing is crucial for advanced optical systems.
• Existing methods for optical pulse delay may lack speed or flexibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel optical pulse delay (OPD) system for ultrashort optical pulses.
• To address chromatic dispersion inherent in ultrashort pulse applications.
• To integrate the OPD into a 3D optical memory system utilizing pulse-collision addressing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an acousto-optic deflector as the core active component for pulse delay.
• Employed calculations to predict system performance, including delay capabilities and access times.
• Conducted experimental validation using a Michelson interferometer to measure achieved time delays.

Main Results:

• The OPD system demonstrated the capability to provide 65 arbitrary delays with a 1 µs random access time for 100-fs pulses.
• Achieved high power efficiency up to 85%, allowing cascading for over 4000 distinct delays.
• Experimental measurements confirmed precise time delays for 130-fs pulses.

Conclusions:

• The acousto-optic deflector-based OPD is a viable solution for precise ultrashort optical pulse manipulation.
• The system offers tunable delay and access times, adaptable for high-speed operations.
• The developed OPD is suitable for integration into 3D optical memory architectures, enhancing data storage capabilities.