A
barcode reading apparatus and method in which the spectrum of a probe light is first Fourier-transformed into space, directed upon a
barcode, and then Fourier-transformed converting the spectrally encoded
barcode pattern to a
time domain waveform. In one implementation, the Fourier transformation from the spectrum domain into a
spatial domain is performed by a dispersive element, while the Fourier transformation from the spectrally encoded barcode pattern to a
time domain waveform is performed by group-
velocity dispersion (GVD). The temporally encoded barcode pattern is detected by a
photodetector, digitized by a digitizer, and analyzed by a
digital signal processor. The invention is applicable to a number of fields which involve the reading of one- and two-dimensional barcodes, displacement sensing, surface measurements, measurement of width and gap,
flow cytometry, reading of optical media, presense or absence detection, and other related fields.