High-resolution optical sampling of 640 Gbit/s data using dispersion-engineered chalcogenide photonic wire

The use of a tapered chalcogenide fibre for optical sampling of high bit-rate signals through four-wave mixing is demonstrated. The taper's ultra-high nonlinearity (γ=10000/W/km), low dispersion (D=40ps/nm/km) and short length (5 cm) ensure that signal and pump pulses are not distorted by chromatic aberration effects. This enables high-resolution optical sampling with a broad signal wavelength tuning range. The device was used to monitor a 640 Gbit/s data signal, with a temporal resolution of 450fs.