Frequency stabilisation of femtosecond frequency combs with a reference laser

Abstract

A solution to the key problem of femtosecond metrology — elimination of the frequency offset related to the intracavity dispersion of a femtosecond laser — is proposed. The proposed method involves stabilisation of the intermode interval between equidistant spectral components in a frequency comb produced by a mode-locked femtosecond laser by phase-locking the frequency difference between a pair of discrete spectral components in this comb to the frequency of a reference laser. An introduction of a nonlinear-optical crystal for frequency doubling into the scheme for frequency-comb stabilisation allows the frequency offset related to the intracavity dispersion of the femtosecond laser to be eliminated, thus suggesting the way for absolute stabilisation of frequency combs generated by femtosecond mode-locked lasers. Radiation of a reference laser with such an approach plays the role of an anchor in the femtosecond clockwork.