Method and apparatus for generating a single-sideband optical frequency comb

• US 6,591,026 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan)
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan)
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Hidemi, Endo, Michiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Palmer, Phan T. H.
• Application Number:
  US09/994,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20020090164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 385/28, 385/3-24, 372/32, 372/18, 372/6, 372/19, 372/22, 359/181, 359/183, 359/173, 359/124, 359/326, 359/346
• US Class Current: 385/15
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2/02 Frequency-changing of light, e.g. by quantum counters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/54 Optical pulse train (comb) synthesizer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/56 Frequency comb synthesizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/506 Multiwavelength transmitters

Abstract

A method of generating a single-sideband optical frequency comb uses an optical fiber loop that contains an optical modulator and an optical amplifier. The optical modulator is used to generate a sideband signal on only one side of a reference signal. The signal thus generated is circulated in the fiber loop while using the amplifier to compensate for optical loss in the course of the circulation. In this way, at the output, a grid of frequency axis components is generated over a wide frequency span

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a single-sideband optical frequency comb, comprising:

an optical fiber loop;

a Mach-Zehnder single-sideband modulator having a dual-electrode configuration provided in the optical fiber loop that generates a sideband signal on only one side of an input reference signal; and

an optical amplifier that compensates for optical loss by the generated signal that is circulated in the fiber loop to thereby generate at output only frequency axis grid components over a wide frequency span.

2. A method for generating a single-sideband optical frequency comb, comprising:

placing a Mach-Zehnder single-sideband modulator having a dual-electrode configuration, and an optical amplifier in an optical fiber loop;

using the modulator to generate a sideband signal on only one side of a reference signal; and

using the amplifier to compensate for optical loss while the signal is circulated in the fiber loop to thereby generate at output only a grid of frequency axis components over a wide frequency span.