The optical transfer function of a pulsed local oscillator coherent receiver is derived. We point out that the transfer function is the amplitude of the spectral envelope of the locked optical modes of the pulsed local oscillator source. Using quantum theory of homodyne detection, and assuming an additive Gaussian circular optical noise, with a spectral density hν/2, at each optical input port of the optical mixer, a general discussion on the fundamental limit of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio of a pulsed coherent receiver is provided. It includes the influence of the time jitter of the sampling pulses. Results are numerically discussed in the context of time equivalent under sampling technique, but may be obviously extended to any real time sampling of optical signals.

Date Published: 1 February 2014
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 9009, Next-Generation Optical Communication: Components, Sub-Systems, and Systems III, 90090O (1 February 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2035800

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9009:
Next-Generation Optical Communication: Components, Sub-Systems, and Systems III
Guifang Li, Editor(s)