High-dynamic-range arrival time control for flexible, accurate and precise parametric sub-cycle waveform synthesis

We introduce a simple all-inline variation of a balanced optical cross-correlator (BOC) that allows to measure the arrival time difference (ATD), over the full Nyquist bandwidth, with increased common-mode rejection and long-term stability. An FPGA-based signal processing unit allows for real-time signal normalization and enables locking to any setpoint with an unprecedented accuracy of 0.07% within an increased ATD range of more than 400 fs, resulting in attosecond resolution locking. The setup precision is verified with an out-of-loop measurement to be less than 80 as residual jitter paving the way for highly demanding applications such as parametric waveform synthesizers