  Fourier analysis plays a major role in the analysis and understanding of many
phenomena in physics and contemporary engineering. However, students, who have
often discovered this notion through numerical tools, do not necessarily
understand all the richness that can be derived from joint analysis in the
temporal and spectral domains, particularly in the field of optics. As part of
the second year of the Master's degree in Physics Lasers and Materials at the
University of Burgundy, we have set up a set of experiments to highlight these
concepts and to show, on a non-trivial example of periodic phase modulation,
the precautions to be taken in the interpretation of the various experimentally
accessible spectra. This hands-on session, made possible through the use of the
research infrastructure, is also an introduction to the use of standard optical
telecommunications equipment.
