Low-noise Frequency Comb Research Articles

Phase shaping of dual-pumped Brillouin-Kerr frequency combs.

We investigate the spectral phase characteristics of dual-pumped Kerr frequency combs generated in a bichromatic Brillouin fiber laser architecture with normal dispersion, producing square-like pulse profiles. Using a pulse shaper, we measure the relative phase between the pump Stokes and adjacent lines, revealing a symmetric phase relationship. Our results highlight good phase coherence of the comb. By manipulating spectral amplitudes and phases, we demonstrate the transformation into various optical waveforms. The stability of our low-noise frequency comb ensures reliable performance in practical settings.

An ultra-stable high-power optical frequency comb

Optical frequency combs are typically generated in the near-infrared wavelength range, where many mode-locked lasers operate. Nonlinear frequency conversion can then be used to extend optical frequency metrology to other spectral regions, such as the extreme ultraviolet (XUV). High-power frequency combs at the fundamental wavelength can efficiently drive nonlinear frequency conversions. Low phase noise is an important requirement because the frequency conversion process not only multiplies the carrier frequency but also the phase fluctuations. In this work, we have developed a low-noise frequency comb centered at 1030 nm with an average power of 230 W, a temporal pulse duration of 59 fs, and a peak power of 32 MW. One of the modes of the seed laser is phase-locked to a continuous wave reference laser stabilized to an ultra-stable high-finesse cavity. The residual integrated phase noise from 10 Hz to 10 MHz is 41 mrad, which is sufficiently low to address narrow transitions with kHz-level linewidths after the frequency conversion to XUV wavelengths.

On the design of low phase noise and flat spectrum optical parametric frequency comb

Optical frequency combs (OFCs) have become increasingly pervasive in recent years, with their advantageous frequency coherence properties enabling significant developments in numerous fields, such as optical communications, spectroscopy, and microwave signal processing. Recent interest in OFC development emphasizes minimizing and mitigating phase noise of individual comb lines for high-quality signal generation, processing, and detection. Cavity-less electro-optic combs and parametric combs are attractive sources for these applications in that they permit flat spectra, tunable tone spacing, and robustness to temperature variations. Although previous research has demonstrated broadband parametric OFC generation, the scaling of the phase noise has not been systematically investigated. Here, we demonstrate a 25 GHz-spacing cavity-less parametric OFC generator and investigate the interaction between electronic and optical noise sources that affect its phase noise and linewidth. In addition, we study the optimal design of a nonlinear amplified loop mirror based pulse shaper with a focus on the impact of pump power on the signal-to-pedestal power ratio, which ultimately influences the spectral flatness and the optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) after the parametric expansion. Notably, we design the OFC using all polarization-maintaining (PM) components, demonstrating the performance of PM highly nonlinear fibers in parametric comb generation. This results in a PM cavity-less comb with <9 dB power variation over 110 nm, >0 dBm power per tone, <10 kHz linewidth, and >23 dB OSNR. These characteristics make it highly desirable for application in communication and signal processing.

High-sensitivity frequency comb carrier-envelope-phase metrology in solid state high harmonic generation

Non-perturbative and phase-sensitive light–matter interactions have led to the generation of attosecond pulses of light and the control of electrical currents on the same time scale. Traditionally, probing these effects via high harmonic generation has involved complicated lasers and apparatuses to generate the few-cycle and high peak power pulses needed to obtain and measure spectra that are sensitive to the phase of the light wave. Instead, we show that nonlinear effects dependent on the carrier-envelope phase can be accessed in solid state crystals with simple, low pulse energy frequency combs that we combine with high-sensitivity demodulation techniques to measure harmonic spectral modulations. Central to this advance is the use of a scalable 100 MHz erbium-fiber frequency comb at 1550 nm to produce 12 nJ, 20 fs pulses that are focused to the T W / c m 2 level. In a single pass through a 500 µm ZnO crystal, this yields harmonic spectra extending down to 200 nm. With this system, we introduce a technique of carrier-envelope amplitude modulation spectroscopy (CAMS) and use it to characterize the phase-sensitive modulation of the ultraviolet harmonics with an 85 dB signal-to-noise ratio. We further verify the non-perturbative nature of the harmonic generation through polarization gating of the driving pulse to increase the effects of the carrier-envelope phase. This work demonstrates robust and ultra-sensitive methods for generating and characterizing harmonic generation at 100 MHz rates that should provide advantages in the study of attosecond nonlinear processes in solid state systems. Additionally, as a simple and low-noise frequency comb, this broadband source will be useful for precision dual-comb spectroscopy of a range of physical systems across the ultraviolet and visible spectral regions (200–650 nm).

Toward robust and practical interband cascade laser frequency combs: A perspective

Multimode emission from a semiconductor laser can sometimes take the form of a low-noise frequency comb with equidistant separation between the modes. Two general types of “passive” comb operation have been explored experimentally: (1) the periodic short-pulse mode achieved by intracavity mode locking, usually obtained by incorporating a saturable absorber section into the cavity, and (2) the so-called frequency-modulated (FM) mode in which the output intensity can vary within wide bounds but does not completely turn off between pulses, and the instantaneous frequency is linearly chirped over a round trip. The FM mode sometimes manifests as a “sparse” harmonic state, with individual modes spaced by multiples of the cavity free spectral range. This Perspective reviews the current understanding of these modes, along with the conditions under which they may arise in practical devices. We then consider in detail the case of type-II mid-infrared interband cascade laser (ICL) frequency combs. Our simulations clarify the roles of carrier dynamics and group velocity dispersion and identify design modifications that may substantially improve the device performance. We find no fundamental roadblocks to the development of practical mode-locked ICL frequency combs that emit short pulses with broad spectral bandwidth for dual comb spectroscopy and other applications, alongside the FM combs that have already been demonstrated experimentally.

Ultra-broadband Kerr microcomb through soliton spectral translation

Broadband and low-noise microresonator frequency combs (microcombs) are critical for deployable optical frequency measurements. Here we expand the bandwidth of a microcomb far beyond its anomalous dispersion region on both sides of its spectrum through spectral translation mediated by mixing of a dissipative Kerr soliton and a secondary pump. We introduce the concept of synthetic dispersion to qualitatively capture the system’s key physical behavior, in which the second pump enables spectral translation through four-wave mixing Bragg scattering. Experimentally, we pump a silicon nitride microring at 1063 nm and 1557 nm to enable soliton spectral translation, resulting in a total bandwidth of 1.6 octaves (137–407 THz). We examine the comb’s low-noise characteristics, through heterodyne beat note measurements across its spectrum, measurements of the comb tooth spacing in its primary and spectrally translated portions, and their relative noise. These ultra-broadband microcombs provide new opportunities for optical frequency synthesis, optical atomic clocks, and reaching previously unattainable wavelengths.

Low-noise Kerr frequency comb generation with low temperature deuterated silicon nitride waveguides.

We report very low-loss deuterated silicon nitride (SiNx:D) micro-ring resonators fabricated by back-end CMOS compatible low-temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) without annealing. Strong confinement micro-ring resonators with a quality factor of > 2 million are achieved, corresponding to a propagation loss in the 1460-1610 nm wavelength range of ∼ 0.17 dB/cm. We further report the generation of low-noise coherent Kerr microcomb states including different perfect soliton crystals (PSC) in PECVD SiNx:D micro-ring resonators. These results manifest the promising potential of the back-end CMOS compatible SiNx:D platform for linear and nonlinear photonic circuits that can be co-integrated with electronics.

Single-cycle all-fiber frequency comb

Single-cycle pulses with deterministic carrier-envelope phase enable the study and control of light-matter interactions at the sub-cycle timescale, as well as the efficient generation of low-noise multi-octave frequency combs. However, current single-cycle light sources are difficult to implement and operate, hindering their application and accessibility in a wider range of research. In this paper, we present a single-cycle 100 MHz frequency comb in a compact, turn-key, and reliable all-silica-fiber format. This is achieved by amplifying 2 $\mu$m seed pulses in heavily-doped Tm:fiber, followed by cascaded self-compression to yield 6.8 fs pulses with 215 kW peak power and 374 mW average power. The corresponding spectrum covers more than two octaves, from below 700 nm up to 3500 nm. Driven by this single-cycle pump, supercontinuum with 180 mW of integrated power and a smooth spectral amplitude between 2100 and 2700 nm is generated directly in silica fibers. To broaden applications,few-cycle pulses extending from 6 $\mu$m to beyond 22 $\mu$m with long-term stable carrier-envelope phase are created using intra-pulse difference frequency, and electro-optic sampling yields comb-tooth-resolved spectra. Our work demonstrates the first all-fiber configuration that generates single-cycle pulses, and provides a practical source to study nonlinear optics on the same timescale.

Fully phase-stabilized 1 GHz turnkey frequency comb at 1.56 µm

Low noise and high repetition rate optical frequency combs are desirable for many applications, from timekeeping to precision spectroscopy. For example, gigahertz repetition rate sources greatly increase the acquisition speed of spectra in a dual-comb modality when compared to lower repetition rate sources, while still maintaining sufficient instantaneous resolution to resolve ro-vibrational signatures from molecules in a variety of conditions. In this paper, we present the stabilization and characterization of a turnkey commercial 1 GHz mode-locked laser that operates at telecom wavelengths (1.56 µm). Fiber amplification and spectral broadening result in high signal-to-noise ratio detection and stabilization of f ceo with 438 mrad of residual phase noise (integrated from 102 to 107 Hz). Simultaneously, we stabilize the beatnote between the nearest comb mode and a cavity stabilized continuous-wave laser at 1.55 µm with 41 mrad of residual phase noise (integrated from 102 to 107 Hz). This robust, self-referenced comb system is built with off-the-shelf polarization-maintaining fiber components and will be useful for a wide range of low noise frequency comb applications that benefit from the increased repetition rate.

Frequency stabilization and tuning of breathing solitons in Si3N4 microresonators

Dissipative Kerr solitons offer broadband coherent and low-noise frequency combs and stable temporal pulse trains, having shown great potential applications in spectroscopy, communications, and metrology. Breathing solitons are a particular kind of dissipative Kerr soliton in which the pulse duration and peak intensity show periodic oscillation. Here we have investigated the breathing dissipative Kerr solitons in silicon nitride ( Si 3 N 4 ) microrings, while the breathing period shows uncertainties of around megahertz (MHz) order in both simulation and experiments. This instability is the main obstacle for future applications. By applying a modulated signal to the pump laser, the breathing frequency can be injection locked to the modulation frequency and tuned over tens of MHz with frequency noise significantly suppressed. Our demonstration offers an alternative knob for the control of soliton dynamics in microresonators and paves a new avenue towards practical applications of breathing solitons.

Flexible all-PM NALM Yb:fiber laser design for low-noise frequency comb applications and single-cavity dual-comb generation

Flexible all-PM NALM Yb:fiber laser design for low-noise frequency comb applications and single-cavity dual-comb generation

Thermally stable access to microresonator solitons via slow pump modulation.

Temporal dissipative Kerr solitons (DKSs) in microresonators provide ultra-short optical pulses and low-noise frequency combs with gigahertz to terahertz repetition rates. Owing to their unique properties, they have found application in fields, including optical communications, rapid laser ranging, and optical precision spectroscopy. However, due to the thermal instability encountered when entering the DKS regime, the stable generation of solitons remains challenging for many systems and usually requires rapid actuation of the pump laser detuning, pulsed driving, additional lasers, a particular mode structure and/or active feedback loops to stabilize the system. Here we show that slow pump modulation can remove the thermal instability and enable passively stable soliton states that can be readily accessed via arbitrarily slow laser tuning, thereby greatly reducing the technical complexity of stable DKS generation.

Turn-key, high-efficiency Kerr comb source.

We demonstrate an approach for automated Kerr comb generation in the normal group-velocity dispersion (GVD) regime. Using a coupled-ring geometry in silicon nitride, we precisely control the wavelength location and splitting strength of avoided mode crossings to generate low-noise frequency combs with pump-to-comb conversion efficiencies of up to 41%, which is the highest reported to date for normal-GVD Kerr combs. Our technique enables on-demand generation of a high-power comb source for applications such as wavelength-division multiplexing in optical communications.

Sub-milliwatt-level microresonator solitons with extended access range using an auxiliary laser

The recent demonstration of dissipative Kerr solitons in microresonators has opened a new pathway for the generation of ultrashort pulses and low-noise frequency combs with gigahertz to terahertz repetition rates, enabling applications in frequency metrology, astronomy, optical coherent communications, and laser-based ranging. A main challenge for soliton generation, in particular in ultra-high-Q resonators, is the sudden change of circulating intracavity power during the onset of soliton generation. This sudden power change requires precise control of the seed laser frequency and power or fast control of the resonator temperature. Here, we report a robust and simple way to increase the stability range of the soliton regime by using an auxiliary laser that passively stabilizes the intracavity power. In our experiments with fused silica resonators, we are able to extend the pump laser frequency stability range of microresonator solitons by two orders of magnitude, which enables soliton generation by slow and manual tuning of the pump laser into resonance and at unprecedented low power levels. Both single- and multi-soliton mode-locked states are generated in a 1.3-mm-diameter fused silica microrod resonator with a free spectral range of ~50.6 GHz, at a 1554 nm pump wavelength at threshold powers <3 mW. Moreover, with a smaller 230-{\mu}m-diameter microrod, we demonstrate soliton generation at 780 {\mu}W threshold power. The passive enhancement of the stability range of microresonator solitons paves the way for robust and low threshold microcomb systems with substantially relaxed stability requirements for the pump laser source. In addition, this method could be useful in a wider range of microresonator applications that require reduced sensitivity to external perturbations.

Generation of frequency combs and dissipative solitons in integrated microresonators in self-injection locking regime

We developed a method to generate frequency combs that implements compact multimode diode laser. This technique allows for generating of low-noise frequency combs with the linewidth around 100 kHz due to self-injection locking effect.

High-Resolution Optical Frequency Synthesis Using an Integrated Electro-Optical Phase-Locked Loop

Optical frequency synthesizers have widespread applications in optical communication, sensing, and ranging systems. These synthesizers typically consist of an electro-optical phase-locked loop (EOPLL) that phase locks a widely tunable laser (TL) to the teeth of a highly stable optical frequency comb. In this paper, a partially integrated optical frequency synthesizer is reported, where a stable and low-noise frequency comb is used as the optical reference. In the proposed architecture, frequency synthesis is done in two phases. In a coarse tuning phase, a widely tunable distributed Bragg reflector laser is continuously tuned by adjusting its mirrors and phase section currents. While the laser is being tuned, an indexing system detects and counts the number of passing comb teeth. Coarse tuning is concluded when the TL reaches the target comb tooth. Following the coarse tuning phase, a heterodyne integrated EOPLL phase locks the TL to the selected comb tooth. Under the phase lock condition, fine frequency tuning is performed by adjusting the frequency of an RF local oscillator. The proposed synthesizer has the capability of synthesizing optical frequencies over a 5-THz range with a coarse tuning speed of 0.5 THz/s and coarse and fine tuning resolutions of 20 MHz and less than 1 Hz, respectively.

And then there were three

Spatial multiplexing enables the simultaneous generation of several low-noise frequency combs in a single microresonator, promising to enhance a host of applications such as multidimensional coherent spectroscopy.

Low Noise Frequency Combs for Higher Order QAM Formats Through Cross-Phase Modulation of Modelocked Laser Pulses

An active, harmonically modelocked fiber laser with phase unstable output pulses from its long cavity is shown transformable into a low noise frequency comb suited for phase noise sensitive communications. Cross-phase modulation (XPM) of its output pulses with a continuous wave (CW) probe laser in a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) produces a frequency comb with noise at its minimum for low timing jitter pulses. Experiments with 2 ps pulses at 40 GHz repetition show that spectral lines obtained from within a bandwidth of 30 lines achieve low bit error rate (BER) after their individual modulation with 96 Gb/s dual polarization 64-QAM signals, reaching below the limit of hard-decision forward error correction (FEC), and close to that of a narrow linewidth CW laser. Its suitability as a seed for even broader comb generation is demonstrated by addition of a second stage HNLF, enabling a larger bandwidth of nearly 50-comb lines to reach a BER below the FEC limit for the same signal. The benefit of XPM for improving the phase noise of a modelocked semiconductor laser frequency comb is also shown, with limitation from larger pulse timing jitter. The results highlight the capability for enabling new applications of otherwise unusable pulse sources.

Photonic microwave signals with zeptosecond-level absolute timing noise

Photonic synthesis of radiofrequency revived the quest for unrivalled microwave purity by its seducing ability to convey the benefits of the optics to the microwave world. In this work, we perform a high-fidelity transfer of frequency stability between an optical reference and a microwave signal via a low-noise fiber-based frequency comb and cutting-edge photo-detection techniques. We demonstrate the generation of the purest microwave signal with a fractional frequency stability below 6.5 x 10^-16 at 1 s and a timing noise floor below 41 zs.Hz^-1/2 (phase noise below -173 dBc.Hz^-1 for a 12 GHz carrier). This outclasses existing sources and promises a new era for state-of-the-art microwave generation. The characterization is achieved by building two auxiliary low noise optoelectronic microwave reference and using a heterodyne cross-correlation scheme with lowermost detection noise. This unprecedented level of purity can impact domains such as radar systems, telecommunications and time-frequency metrology. Furthermore, the measurement methods developed here can benefit the characterization of a broad range of signals, beyond comb-based systems.

Coherent mid-infrared frequency combs in silicon-microresonators in the presence of Raman effects.

We demonstrate the first low-noise mid-IR frequency comb source using a silicon microresonator. Our observation of strong Raman scattering lines in the generated comb suggests that interplay between Raman and four-wave mixing plays a role in the generated low-noise state. In addition, we characterize, the intracavity comb generation dynamics using an integrated PIN diode, which takes advantage of the inherent three-photon absorption process in silicon.