We report the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of time-to-space conversion of 1.55 μm femtosecond optical pulses using nondegenerate, collinearly phase-matched sum-frequency generation. A quasi-monochromatic and background-free output signal spanning a time window of 35 ps and with a pulse image width of 350 fs was achieved. The resulting serial-to-parallel resolution factor of 100 demonstrates the potential for all-optical complete frame demultiplexing of a 1 Tbit/s optical time-division multiplexing bit stream.

We demonstrate high resolution and increased efficiency background-free time-to-space conversion using spectrally resolved non-degenerate and collinear SFG in a bulk PPLN crystal. A serial-to-parallel resolution factor of 95 and a time window of 42 ps were achieved. A 60-fold increase in conversion efficiency slope compared with our previous work using a BBO crystal [D. Shayovitz and D. M. Marom, Opt. Lett. 36, 1957 (2011)] was recorded. Finally the measured 40 GHz narrow linewidth of the output SFG signal implies the possibility to extract phase information by employing coherent detection techniques.

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We report the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of time-to-space conversion of subpicosecond pulses in a slab nonlinear waveguide. By vertically confining the nondegenerate sum-frequency generation interaction between a spatially dispersed 100 fs signal pulse at 1.55 μm and a reference pulse in a titanium indiffused planar periodically poled lithium niobate crystal waveguide, we have attained a conversion efficiency of 0.1% and a conversion efficiency slope of 4% per watt of reference beam power. This was achieved while maintaining high conversion resolution, with a measured time window of operation of 48 ps resulting in a serial-to-parallel demultiplexing factor of 90.

Accurate amplitude and phase measurements of ultrashort optical waveforms are essential for their use in a wide range of scientific disciplines. Here we report the first demonstration of full-field optical reconstruction of ultrashort waveforms using a time-to-space converter, followed by a spatial recording of an interferogram. The algorithm-free technique is demonstrated by measuring ultrashort pulses that are widely frequency chirped from negative to positive, as well as phase modulated pulse packets. Amplitude and phase measurements were recorded for pulses ranging from 0.5 ps to 10 ps duration, with measured dimensionless chirp parameter values from -30 to 30. The inherently single-shot nature of time-to-space conversion enables full-field measurement of complex and non-repetitive waveforms.