Ultrafast optical signal processing based upon space-time dualities

The last two decades have seen a wealth of optical instrumentation based upon the concepts of space-time duality. A historical overview of how this beautiful framework has been exploited to develop instruments for optical signal processing is presented. The power of this framework is then demonstrated by reviewing four devices in detail based upon space-time dualities that have been experimentally demonstrated: 1) a time-lens timing-jitter compensator for ultralong-haul dense-wavelength-division-multiplexed dispersion-managed soliton transmission, 2) a multiwavelength pulse generator using time-lens compression, 3) a programmable ultrafast optical delay line by use of a time-prism pair, and 4) an enhanced ultrafast optical delay line by use of soliton propagation between a time-prism pair.