Single-shot multiheterodyne detection of a dynamically varying pulse train

The technique of multiheterodyne detection is applied to a dynamically varying pulse train, the amplitude and frequency of which are changing at hundreds of kilohertz rates. Unlike traditional pulse reconstruction techniques, time-resolved multiheterodyne provides a method to measure the optical intensity and phase of a pulse train in time bins of approximately 100 ns duration. 10 GHz return-to-zeros (RZ) pulses undergoing amplitude fluctuations are reconstructed and the spectral and temporal measurements are compared to high speed sampling oscilloscope and high resolution spectrum analyser results.