Abstract

Optical sampling systems have recently enabled a wide range of applications, from precise distance measurements [1] to Fourier transform spectroscopy [2]. At the core of such sampling systems is the generation of pairs of ultrashort pulses with variable time delay. Optical sampling by cavity tuning (OSCAT) is a method to create such pairs of ultrashort pulses, relying on the modulation of the repetition rate (f_rep) of an ultrafast laser source, combined with a length-imbalanced interferometer [3]. OSCAT has the advantage of requiring only one ultrafast laser, with a scan range determined by the f_rep tunability range (Δf) and passive delay line (PDL) length, while its scan rate is defined by frep's modulation rate. However, typical implementations of this method suffer from low scan rates, caused by mechanical limitations in modulating frep [1, 2].

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