Phase-coherent microwave-to-optical link with a self-referenced microcomb

Del’Haye, Pascal; Coillet, Aurélien; Fortier, Tara M.; Beha, Katja; Cole, Daniel C.; Yang, Ki Youl; Lee, Hansuek; Vahala, Kerry J.; Papp, Scott B.

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2016.105

Cited by 175 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…However, these techniques usually result in elaborate optical systems. More recently, new routes promising chip-scale comb generators have been investigated based on optically-pumped ultra-high-quality-factor crystalline microresonators [14][15][16] and on broadband quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) with specially designed multistage active regions 10,17 . In both cases the essential underlying mechanism responsible for the generation of OFCs is cascaded four-wave mixing (FWM) enabled by a third-order χ (3) Kerr nonlinearity.…”

Section: Several Techniques To Generate Optical Frequency Combs (Ofcsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-starting harmonic frequency comb generation in a quantum cascade laser

et al. 2017

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Optical frequency combs1,2 establish a rigid phase-coherent link between microwave and optical domains and are emerging as high-precision tools in an increasing number of applications 3 . Frequency combs with large intermodal spacing are employed in the field of microwave photonics for radiofrequency arbitrary waveform synthesis 4,5 and for generation of THz tones of high spectral purity in the future wireless communication networks 6,7 . We demonstrate for the first time self-starting harmonic frequency comb generation with a THz repetition rate in a quantum cascade laser. The large intermodal spacing caused by the suppression of tens of adjacent cavity modes originates from a parametric contribution to the gain due to temporal modulations of the population inversion in the laser 8,9 . The mode spacing of the harmonic comb is shown to be uniform to within 5 × 10 −12 parts of the central frequency using multiheterodyne self-detection. This new harmonic comb state extends the range of applications of quantum cascade laser frequency combs 10-13 . Several techniques to generate optical frequency combs (OFCs) have been demonstratedin the last decades based on different nonlinear mechanisms that fulfill the modelocking condition. Originally, passively modelocked lasers based on saturable absorption and Kerr lensing were used to create short light pulses, and were subsequently shown to also constitute frequency combs. This type of modelocking is an example of amplitude-modulated modelocking, so-named for the temporal behavior of the electric field of the emitted light. However, these techniques usually result in elaborate optical systems. More recently, new routes promising chip-scale comb generators have been investigated based on optically-pumped ultra-high-quality-factor crystalline microresonators 14-16 and on broadband quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) with specially designed multistage active regions 10,17 . In both cases the essential underlying mechanism responsible for the generation of OFCs is cascaded four-wave mixing (FWM) enabled by a third-order χ (3) Kerr nonlinearity. The temporal behavior of these OFCs is not restricted to ultrashort pulses but can represent rather sophisticated waveforms due to a non-trivial relationship among the spectral phases of the comb teeth. In fact, the output of a QCL-based frequency comb resembles that of a frequency-modulated laser with nearly constant output intensity 10,18 .A novel mechanism of OFC generation in QCLs was suggested by the recent discovery of a new laser state 19 , which comprises many modes separated by higher harmonics of the 2 cavity free spectral range (FSR) (Figure 1a). This spectrum radically differs from that of fundamentally modelocked QCL combs where adjacent cavity modes are populated ( Figure 1b THz repetition rates in other semiconductor lasers 20 . Rather, the modes are locked passively due to the behavior of the QCL gain medium itself.In this work we employed two Fabry-Perot (FP) QCLs fabricated from the same growth process with 6 mm-long cavit...

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Section: Several Techniques To Generate Optical Frequency Combs (Ofcsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-starting harmonic frequency comb generation in a quantum cascade laser

et al. 2017

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“…Direct soliton generation from an ultra-stable pump laser holds potential for compact and powerful optical-to-microwave dividers. Although self-referenced optical microcombs and clocks have been demonstrated [18][19][20] , optical frequency division for ultralow-noise microwave generation using such devices has not been demonstrated so far, mainly due to the complex crosstalk occurring between their two degrees of freedom 19,21 and the limited performance of the available actuators 17,22 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultralow-noise photonic microwave synthesis using a soliton microcomb-based transfer oscillator

et al. 2020

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The synthesis of ultralow-noise microwaves is of both scientific and technological relevance for timing, metrology, communications and radio-astronomy.Today, the lowest reported phase noise signals are obtained via optical frequency-division using mode-locked laser frequency combs. Nonetheless, this technique ideally requires high repetition rates and tight comb stabilisation. Here, a soliton microcomb with a 14 GHz repetition rate is generated with an ultra-stable pump laser and used to derive an ultralow-noise microwave reference signal, with an absolute phase noise level below −60 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz offset frequency and −135 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz. This is achieved using a transfer oscillator approach, where the free-running microcomb noise (which is carefully studied and minimised) is cancelled via a combination of electronic division and mixing. Although this proofof-principle uses an auxiliary comb for detecting the microcomb's offset frequency, we highlight the prospects of this method with future selfreferenced integrated microcombs and electrooptic combs, that would allow for ultralow-noise microwave and sub-terahertz signal generators.

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“…Combs with FSR ranging from 1 GHz to 1 THz have been reported in microresonators [9,10]. This technology also offers the possibility of on-chip integration [9], self-referencing [11] and promising prospects for microwave photonics [12], dual-comb spectroscopy [13] and coherent optical telecommunications [14,15]. However, similarly to femtosecond frequency combs, the FSR is directly fixed by the length of the resonator.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coherent multi-heterodyne spectroscopy using acousto-optic frequency combs

Durán¹,

Schnébelin²,

Chatellus³

2018

Opt. Express

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We propose and characterize experimentally a new source of optical frequency combs for performing multi-heterodyne spectrometry. This comb modality is based on a frequency-shifting loop seeded with a continuous-wave (CW) monochromatic laser. The comb lines are generated by successive passes of the CW laser through an acousto-optic frequency shifter. We report the generation of frequency combs with more than 1500 mutually coherent lines, without resorting to non-linear broadening phenomena or external electronic modulation. The comb line spacing is easily reconfigurable from tens of MHz down to the kHz region. We first use a single acousto-optic frequency comb to conduct self-heterodyne interferometry with a high frequency resolution (500 kHz). By increasing the line spacing to 80 MHz, we demonstrate molecular spectroscopy on the sub-millisecond time scale. In order to reduce the detection bandwidth, we subsequently implement an acousto-optic dual-comb spectrometer with the aid of two mutually coherent frequency shifting loops. In each architecture, the potentiality of acousto-optic frequency combs for spectroscopy is validated by spectral measurements of hydrogen cyanide in the near-infrared region.

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Phase-coherent microwave-to-optical link with a self-referenced microcomb

Cited by 175 publications

References 38 publications

Self-starting harmonic frequency comb generation in a quantum cascade laser

Self-starting harmonic frequency comb generation in a quantum cascade laser

Ultralow-noise photonic microwave synthesis using a soliton microcomb-based transfer oscillator

Coherent multi-heterodyne spectroscopy using acousto-optic frequency combs

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