Detection of an Optical Signal Using Difference Frequency Generation in a Periodically Poled Microwave Waveguide

The detection of an optical signal modulated at 15 GHz was demonstrated experimentally by using difference frequency generation based on a second-order nonlinear optical effect in a periodically poled LiTaO3 microwave rectangular waveguide. The measured frequency dependence of the generated microwave signal was in good agreement with the theoretically expected result. An interesting application of the proposed device is the detection of high-speed optical clock detection.