FREQUENCY-DOMAIN ANALYSIS OF AN OPTICAL FM DISCRIMINATOR

Measurement of optical phase and frequency deviations is described using a frequency domain network analysis approach. The frequency domain transfer functions are given which relate the conversion of optical phase, frequency and intensity modulation into photodetector current after passing through a quadrature biased Mach-Zehnder interferometer. It is shown that the error term in the phase and frequency transfer functions depends only to second order on any accompanying intensity modulation. Experimental data are given illustrating the analytical results.