Attometer resolution spectral analysis based on polarization pulling assisted Brillouin scattering merged with heterodyne detection.

Spectral analysis is essential for measuring and monitoring advanced optical communication systems and the characterization of active and passive devices like amplifiers, filters and especially frequency combs. Conventional devices have a limited resolution or tuning range. Therefore, the true spectral shape of the signal remains hidden. In this work, a small part of the signal under test is preselected with help of the polarization pulling effect of stimulated Brillouin scattering where all unwanted spectral components are suppressed. Subsequently, this part is analyzed more deeply through heterodyne detection. Thereby, the local oscillator is generated from a narrow linewidth fiber laser which acts also as pump wave for Brillouin scattering. By scanning the pump wave together with the local oscillator through the signal spectrum, the whole signal is measured. The method is tunable over a broad wavelength range, is not affected by unwanted mixing products and utilizes a conventional narrow bandwidth photo diode. First proof of concept experiments show the measurement of the power spectral density function with a resolution in the attometer or lower kilohertz range at 1550 nm.