Real-time visualization of electromagnetic waves propagating in air using live electro-optic imaging technique

Electromagnetic waves propagating in air are visually observed with phase evolution in real time by live electro-optic imaging technique. We show how geometrical and crystallographic arrangements of an electro-optic sensor plate enable the realization of the real-time visual observation of traveling 100-GHz electromagnetic waves. For this purpose, a generation technique for a 100-GHz optical local oscillator signal at 780 nm was newly developed, whose optical wavelength is suitable for the ultra-parallel RF electric field data acquisition by a Si-CMOS image sensor. (C)2010 Optical Society of America