Kerr-induced Spectral Interferometry for Direct Ultra-sensitive Phase Recovery

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel Kerr-induced spectral interferometry technique enabling direct, ultra-sensitive, reference-free phase measurements of optical pulses, improving robustness and scalability for optical imaging and communication.

Contribution

The authors introduce a new in-line phase retrieval method based on Kerr-mediated interference, eliminating the need for traditional interferometric setups and computationally intensive data processing.

Findings

Achieved phase sensitivity up to π/385.

Demonstrated shot-to-shot signal prominence at 13 dB above noise.

Operated at 80 MHz rates with 50 pJ pulse energies.

Abstract

Measuring the phase of light is fundamental to optical imaging, sensing, and signal processing applications. Conventional optical phase measurements rely on multipath configurations, bulky interferometric setups, and computationally intensive data pipelines, limiting scalability, robustness, and practicality. We introduce a technique that allows for reference-free in-line phase retrieval of abrupt phase transitions in optical pulses directly from spectral measurements. Theory, simulations, and experiments concurrently explain the effect as a result of a Kerr-mediated interference between a projected linear wave component and the high-intensity residual of the phase-altered pulse. Utilizing this phenomenon, we demonstrate algorithm-free phase measurements of up to {\pi}/385 sensitivity and shot-to-shot signal prominence at 13 dB above noise at 80 MHz rates and 50 pJ pulse energies. This approach offers new paths toward the use of femtosecond pulses as broadband data carriers for optical communications, information processing, and direct high-throughput phase imaging.