Picosecond time-correlated single-photon counting measurements of symmetric self electro-optic effect device switching

The authors present a technique for the measurement of S-SEED switching characteristics based on time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC). This allows the measurement of switching characteristics over a large temporal dynamic range; from that of the detector response time (<20 ps-or faster with reconvolution analysis techniques) to that of the repetition period of the pulsed laser (in this case, >1 μs). The technique uses only one pulsed pump source on the S window to switch the device, and a probe-reset beam (at an appropriate wavelength to observe switching) on the R window, which is monitored by the detector. The probe-reset beam has a low power level, but sufficient to reset the device to its original state before the onset of the next pump pulse