Frequency comb source with large comb spacing

• US 9,759,983 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IMRA America Incorporated (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: IMRA America Incorporated (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Fermann, Martin, Hartl, Ingmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Armando
• Application Number:
  US14/967,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20160097963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3528 for producing a supercontinuum
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/365 in an optical waveguide structure G02F1/377, G02F1/395 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0085 Modulating the output, i.e. the laser beam is modulated outside the laser cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0092 Nonlinear frequency conversion, e.g. second harmonic generation [SHG] or sum- or difference-frequency generation outside the laser cavity nonlinear frequency conversion per se G02F1/35
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0675 Resonators including a grating structure, e.g. distributed Bragg reflectors [DBR] or distributed feedback [DFB] fibre lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08054 Passive cavity elements acting on the polarization, e.g. a polarizer for branching or walk-off compensation quarter-wave plates in a Q-switch laser H01S3/1124, H01S3/115
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0809 Two-wavelenghth emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/10046 Pulse repetition rate control H01S3/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/105 by controlling the mutual position or the reflecting properties of the reflectors of the cavity , e.g. by controlling the cavity lengthH01S3/10076, H01S3/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1106 Mode locking
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1112 Passive mode locking
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1115 using intracavity saturable absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1118 Semiconductor saturable absorbers, e.g. semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors [SESAMs]; Solid-state saturable absorbers, e.g. carbon nanotube [CNT] based
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1618 ytterbium

Abstract

A frequency comb laser providing large comb spacing is disclosed. At least one embodiment includes a mode locked waveguide laser system. The mode locked waveguide laser includes a laser cavity having a waveguide, and a dispersion control unit (DCU) in the cavity. The DCU imparts an angular dispersion, group-velocity dispersion (GVD) and a spatial chirp to a beam propagating in the cavity. The DCU is capable of producing net GVD in a range from a positive value to a negative value. In some embodiments a tunable fiber frequency comb system configured as an optical frequency synthesizer is provided. In at least one embodiment a low phase noise micro-wave source may be implemented with a fiber comb laser having a comb spacing greater than about 1 GHz. The laser system is suitable for mass-producible fiber comb sources with large comb spacing and low noise. Applications include high-resolution spectroscopy.

Claims

1. A multi-GHz frequency comb based system, comprising:

a mode locked waveguide laser configured such that individual comb modes output therefrom are separated by more than 1 GHz in frequency space;

an amplitude modulator configured to modulate the amplitude of an output of said mode locked waveguide laser;

a fiber amplifier disposed downstream from said amplitude modulator configured to amplify a modulated output produced with said amplitude modulator; and

a highly nonlinear fiber optically coupled to said fiber amplifier and configured for frequency broadening of a signal generated by said multi-GHz comb based system.

2. The multi-GHz comb based system according to claim 1, further comprising an f-2f interferometer.

3. The multi-GHz comb based system according to claim 1 operably arranged for control of a carrier envelope offset frequency of said multi-GHz comb based system.

4. The multi-GHz comb based system according to claim 1, wherein said amplitude modulator comprises an electro-optic modulator.

5. The multi-GHz comb based system according to claim 1, comprising one or more nonlinear frequency broadening stages operably arranged for supercontinuum generation.

6. The multi-GHz comb based system according to claim 1, comprising one or more nonlinear frequency broadening stages operably arranged for difference frequency generation.

7. The multi-GHz comb based system according to claim 1, operably arranged to generate a microwave beat signal between a precision optical reference frequency and a signal from the mode locked waveguide laser for low phase noise micro-wave generation.

8. The multi-GHz comb based system according to claim 1, wherein said multi-GHz comb system comprises solid-state, semiconductor based or micro-ring resonators.

9. The multi-GHz comb based system according to claim 1, comprising an f-2f interferometer operably arranged for measuring a carrier envelope offset frequency of said multi-GHz comb based system.