Patent ID: 7327512

Claim:
An optical sampling apparatus for detecting a time waveform of signal light, comprising: an optical pulse train generation circuit generating an optical pulse train having an iterative frequency displaced by a predetermined time from an integral multiple or an integral submultiple of a synchronous time interval of a synchronous signal of the signal light; an optical Kerr effect generation circuit inputting the signal light and the generated optical pulse train and outputting optical intensity of the signal light overlapping the optical pulse train in time under an optical Kerr effect; and an optical circuit retrieving light at a frequency determined depending on type of the optical Kerr effect from light output from the optical Kerr effect generation circuit, and wherein said optical pulse train is used as pumping light for generation of four optical wave mixing as the optical Kerr effect outputting an optical pulse varying in optical intensity according to the shape of the signal light by sequentially joining the peaks of the output optical pulse at an iterative frequency Δf.