Simple autocorrelation technique based on degree-of-polarization measurement

We demonstrate a simple optical-fiber-based autocorrelator for picosecond short pulses based on degree-of-polarization measurement while tuning the relative delay of the two orthogonal polarization states of the pulse. The pulsewidths of 20-, 40-, and 80-GHz pulse trains and 2-ps pulses generated by a mode-locked laser are measured. The <-10-dBm optical powers are used in the experiment. The measurement results agree well with the measurements using conventional techniques. Compared with conventional autocorrelators, this technique has the advantages of 1) wavelength independent, 2) significant less alignment, and 3) no high power required.