Ultrafast optical frequency comb synthesizer and analyzer

We propose an ultrafast optical arbitrary waveform synthesizing/analyzing technique demonstrated with 2 Tbit/s waveforms. An ultrafast waveform was generated by manipulating the amplitude and phase of a 400?GHz optical frequency comb using a newly developed colorless optical synthesizer. The 400?GHz optical frequency comb was generated from a 25?GHz optical frequency comb using a colorless arrayed waveguide grating. This waveform was then analyzed on the frequency axis using a custom heterodyne-detection technique based on the dual-heterodyne mixing method. The phase and amplitude spectra can be observed in parallel using another optical frequency comb as a reference combined with an arrayed waveguide grating. This optical system, named the ultrafast optical frequency comb synthesizer and analyzer, can synthesize and analyze an arbitrary waveform in the THz frequency region.     

Wideband optical comb generation using an injection-locked feedback loop

This paper presents a novel circuit for wideband optical comb generation which will be useful in DWDM applications. The injection-locked feedback loop broadens the bandwidth of the optical comb. The injection-locked laser diodes perform amplification, bandpass filtering as well as laser RIN suppression. Several hundred GHz bandwidth optical comb can be generated by this circuit within a reasonable power envelope.     

Efficient detection and control of the carrier-envelope offset frequency in a self-referencing optical frequency synthesizer

An efficient means of isolating and detecting the carrier-envelope offset frequency signal in an optical frequency synthesizer is demonstrated. The technique uses spliced and connectorized fiber for comb broadening, a periodically poled KTP crystal for doubling 1064-nm light in the supercontinuum, and a laser-line filter at 532 nm for comb-section selection. The technique produces an offset frequency with a 40-dB signal-to-noise ratio in a resolution bandwidth of 100 kHz with as little as 55 GW/cm² of peak pulse intensity inside the fiber. The strong signal-to-noise ratio helps realize an offset frequency signal with frequency instability of 1 mHz at 1 s when controlled through feedback to the optical power driving the femtosecond laser. PACS 06.30.Ft; 06.20.Fn; 42.62.-b; 42.60.-v     

Long-distance frequency dissemination with a resolution of 10(-17)

We use a new technique to disseminate microwave reference signals along ordinary optical fiber. The fractional frequency resolution of a link of 86 km in length is 10(-17) for a one day integration time, a resolution higher than the stability of the best microwave or optical clocks. We use the link to compare the microwave reference and a CO2/OsO4 frequency standard that stabilizes a femtosecond laser frequency comb. This demonstrates a resolution of 3 x 10(-14) at 1 s. An upper value of the instability introduced by the femtosecond laser-based synthesizer is estimated as 1 x 10(-14) at 1 s.     

Full stabilization of a microresonator-based optical frequency comb

We demonstrate control and stabilization of an optical frequency comb generated by four-wave mixing in a monolithic microresonator with a mode spacing in the microwave regime (86 GHz). The comb parameters (mode spacing and offset frequency) are controlled via the power and the frequency of the pump laser, which constitutes one of the comb modes. Furthermore, generation of a microwave beat note at the comb's mode spacing frequency is demonstrated, enabling direct stabilization to a microwave frequency standard.     

Precise determination of characteristic laser frequencies by an Er-doped fiber optical frequency comb

Femtosecond optical frequency combs correlate the microwave and optical frequencies accurately and coherently. Therefore, any optical frequency in visible to near-infrared region can be directly traced to a microwave frequency. As a result, the length unit "meter" is directly related to the time unit "second". This paper validates the capability of the national wavelength standards based on a home-made Er-doped fiber femtosecond optical frequency comb to measure the laser frequencies ranging from visible to near-infrared region. Optical frequency conversion in the femtosecond optical frequency comb is achieved by combining spectral broadening in a highly nonlinear fiber with a single-point frequency-doubling scheme. The signal-to-noise ratio of the beat notes between the femtosecond optical frequency comb and the lasers at 633, 698, 729, 780, 1064, and 1542 nm is better than 30 dB. The frequency instability of the above lasers is evaluated by using a hydrogen clock signal with a instability of better than 1×10^-13 at 1-s averaging time. The measurement is further validated by measuring the absolute optical frequency of an iodine-stabilized 532-nm laser and an acetylene-stabilized 1542-nm laser. The results are within the uncertainty range of the international recommended values. Our results demonstrate the accurate optical frequency measurement of lasers at different frequencies using the femtosecond optical frequency comb, which is not only important for the precise and accurate traceability and calibration of the laser frequencies, but also provides technical support for establishing the national wavelength standards based on the femtosecond optical frequency comb.     

基于飞秒光频梳的压电陶瓷闭环位移控制系统

利用飞秒光频梳、外腔可调谐半导体激光器和法布里-珀罗干涉仪建立了一套压电陶瓷亚纳米级闭环位移控制系统. 将可调谐半导体激光器锁定至光频梳, 通过精确调谐光频梳的重复频率, 实现了半导体激光器在其工作频率范围内的精密调谐. 利用Pound-Drever-Hall锁定技术将带有压电陶瓷的法布里-珀罗腔锁定至半导体激光器, 进而通过频率发生系统控制压电陶瓷产生亚纳米级分辨率的位移. 实验研究发现锁定至光频梳后可调谐半导体激光器1 s的Allan标准偏差为1.68×10^-12, 将其在30.9496 GHz范围内进行连续闭环调谐, 可获得压电陶瓷的位移行程约为4.8 μm; 以3.75 Hz的步长扫描光频梳的重复频率, 实现了压电陶瓷的450 pm闭环位移分辨率并测定了压电陶瓷的磁滞特性曲线. 该系统不存在非线性测量误差, 且激光频率及压电陶瓷位移均溯源至铷钟频率源. 关键词： 光频梳 压电陶瓷 法布里-珀罗腔 可调谐半导体激光器     

基于飞秒光频梳的双频He-Ne激光器频率测量

利用光纤飞秒光频梳和外腔可调谐半导体激光器, 建立了一套双频He-Ne激光器频率测量系统. 选用铷钟作为系统的频率基准, 通过将外腔半导体激光锁定至光频梳使得其频率溯源至铷钟, 再利用外腔可调谐半导体激光与双频He-Ne激光器输出的正交偏振激光拍频, 同时测量两路正交偏振激光频率. 将可调谐半导体激光器锁定至光频梳第1894449个梳齿, 其绝对频率为473612190000.0±2.7 kHz, 相对不确定度为5.7×10^-12. 对商品双频He-Ne激光器进行频率测量实验, 双频He-Ne激光器水平方向偏振激光频率均值为473612229934 kHz, 竖直方向偏振激光频率均值为473612232111 kHz, 平均时间为1024 s的相对Allan标准差为5.2×10^-11, 频差均值为2.177 MHz, 标准偏差为2 kHz.     

Combination of a continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator and a femtosecond frequency comb for optical frequency metrology

We combined a tunable continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator and a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser frequency comb to provide a phase-coherent bridge between the visible and the mid-infrared spectral ranges. As a first demonstration of this new technique we performed a direct frequency comparison between an iodine-stabilized Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm and an infrared methane optical frequency standard at 3.39 microm.     

Phase-locked widely tunable optical single-frequency generator based on a femtosecond comb

We present an arbitrary optical single-frequency generator based on a femtosecond optical frequency comb. The functions of this device are comparable to those of a radio-frequency synthesizer. However, this device operates at hundreds of terahertz. The absolute frequency accuracy of this synthesizer is approximately 1 kHz at a 282 THz carrier frequency. The stability is approximately 2 x 10(-14) at 100 s, and the tuning speed exceeds 30 GHz/s. This source demonstrates the integration of a phase-locked optical comb into a versatile and easy-to-use system for the generation of tunable, absolute optical frequencies. By using downconversion, one could generate tunable terahertz frequencies that are phase locked to a microwave reference, such as a Cs atomic clock, and high-precision interferometry could benefit greatly from the stability and accuracy of this widely tunable source.     

光梳主动滤波放大实现锶原子光钟二级冷却光源

提出一种结合注入锁定技术的主动滤波放大方法,将光梳直接注入锁定至光栅外腔半导体激光器,产生窄线宽激光光源,该光源可以用于锶原子光钟二级冷却.实验中,将中心波长为689 nm,带宽为10 nm的光梳种子光源注入689 nm光栅式外腔半导体激光器,通过半导体增益光谱与半导体光栅外腔,从飞秒光梳的多个纵模梳齿中挑选出一个纵模模式来进行增益放大,再通过模式竞争,实现单纵模连续光输出;同时,光梳的重复频率锁定在线宽为赫兹量级的698 nm超稳激光光源上,因此,注入锁定后输出的窄线宽激光也继承了超稳激光光源的光谱特性.利用得到的输出功率为12 mW的689 nm窄线宽激光光源实现了88Sr原子光钟的二级冷却过程,最终获得温度为3μK,原子数约为5×10~6的冷原子团.该方法可拓展至原子光钟其他光源的获得,从而实现原子光钟的集成化和小型化.     

光纤飞秒光学频率梳的研制及绝对光学频率测量

实验利用商品光纤飞秒激光器,自行构建了一套完整的光学频率梳系统,并获得了约30 dB信噪比的系统频移(f_ceo)信号.实现了光频梳重复频率(f_rep)信号及系统频移(f_ceo)信号的高稳定度锁定,并通过实验验证了光频梳锁定的跟踪精度.基于此稳定光频梳完成了对1064 nm碘稳频Nd:YAG固体激光器的绝对频率测量.实验结果表明,f_rep的跟踪精度在100 s取样时间时优于3.7×10^-14,测量得到的1064 nm激光器绝对频率为:281630111757362 Hz.这一测量结果与国际计量委员会(CIPM)给出的国际推荐值符合到不确定度之内. 关键词： 光纤光频梳 稳频 锁相技术 光学频率计量     

Accuracy of optical frequency comb generators and optical frequency interval divider chains

We compared two methods for measuring large optical frequency differences: an optical frequency comb generator, which creates a large number of sidebands from a single-mode laser through electro-optic modulation, and an optical frequency interval divider chain, which divides a frequency gap successively by two until it becomes accessible to a radio-frequency counter. By locking two diode lasers to two modulation sidebands of a comb generator, ~1 THz apart, and measuring this interval with a chain of four phase-locked interval dividers, we demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge the accuracy of both techniques within an experimental limit of 6.8 x 10(-15).     

Accurate measurement of large optical frequency differences with a mode-locked laser

We have used the comb of optical frequencies emitted by a mode-locked laser as a ruler to measure differences of as much as 20 THz between laser frequencies. This is to our knowledge the largest gap measured with a frequency comb, with high potential for further improvements. To check the accuracy of this approach we show that the modes are distributed uniformly in frequency space within the experimental limit of 3.0 parts in 10(17) . By comparison with an optical frequency comb generator we have verified that the mode separation equals the pulse repetition rate within the experimental limit of 6.0 parts in 10(16).     

Femtosecond optical frequency combs

A laser frequency comb allows the conversion of the very rapid oscillations of visible light of some 100’s of THz down to frequencies that can be handled with conventional electronics. This capability has enabled the most precise laser spectroscopy experiments yet that allowed to test quantum electrodynamics, to determine fundamental constants and to search for possible slow changes of these constants. Using an optical frequency reference in combination with a laser frequency comb has made it possible to construct all optical atomic clocks, that are now outperforming even the best cesium atomic clocks. In future direct frequency comb spectroscopy might enable high resolution laser spectroscopy in the extreme ultraviolet for the first time. Frequency combs are also used to calibrate astronomical spectrographs and might reach an accuracy that is sufficient to observe the expansion of the universe in real time.     

Absolute-frequency measurements with a stabilized near-infrared optical frequency comb from a Cr:forsterite laser

A frequency comb is generated with a chromium-doped forsterite femtosecond laser, spectrally broadened in a dispersion-shifted highly nonlinear fiber, and stabilized. The resultant evenly spaced comb of frequencies ranges from 1.1 to beyond 1.8 microm. The frequency comb was referenced simultaneously to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's optical frequency standard based on neutral calcium and to a hydrogen maser that is calibrated by a cesium atomic fountain clock. With this comb we measured two frequency references in the telecommunications band: one half of the frequency of the d/f crossover transition in 87Rb at 780 nm, and the methane v2 + 2v3 R(8) line at 1315 nm.     

Stabilization of femtosecond lasers for optical frequency metrology and direct optical to radio frequency synthesis

We have actively stabilized the comb of frequencies from a mode-locked femtosecond laser using a Fabry-Perot reference cavity. This technique offers the ability to synthesize a comb of highly stable radio frequencies directly from optical transitions. The measured fractional frequency instability of the components of the frequency comb relative to the reference cavity was <5x10(-13) in 0.1 sec. The variation of the optical mode spacing versus frequency of the reference cavity was also directly measured using this technique.     

Transferring the stability of iodine-stabilized diode laser at 634 nm to radio frequency by an optical frequency comb

An optical flequency comb phase-locked on an iodine frequency stabilized diode laser at 634 nm is constructed to transfer the accuracy and stability from the optical domain to the radio frequency domain. An external-cavity diode laser is frequency-stabilized on the Doppler-free absorption signals of the hyperfine transition R（80）8-4 using the third-harmonic detection technique. The instability of the ultra-stable optical oscillator is determined to be 7 ×10^-12 by a cesium atomic clock via the optical frequency comb＇s mass frequencv dividing technique.     

Injection locking of a diode laser locked to a Zeeman frequency stabilized laser oscillator

We describe the design and performance of an injection-locked diode laser locked to a stabilized, single frequency, unmodulated diode laser. The master oscillator is a grating-tuned, external cavity diode laser which is stabilized on a Doppler free alkali metal resonance transition frequency via Zeeman locking. The master oscillator frequency is shifted by an acousto-optic modulator, which provides optical isolation of the master oscillator laser while tuning of the acousto-optic modulation frequency can also provide frequency offset tuning. The slave laser is a free running diode which is injection-locked by a small fraction of the frequency shifted master oscillator light. Good long- and short-time frequency stability are observed for both the Zeeman-locked master oscillator and the injection-locked slave laser.     

Practical optical frequency measurement system around 1.5 μm based on an acetylene-stabilized laser-locked optical frequency comb

We have developed a practical and precise frequency measurement system at 1.5 μm telecommunication band. An electro-optic-modulator based optical frequency comb is phase-locked to a dither-free acetylene-stabilized laser to realize an optical frequency comb with frequency uncertainty of 10 kHz (5 × 10⁻¹¹) and the linewidth of 15 kHz. The present frequency comb can be also used as an optical frequency reference grid defined by ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunication Standardization Sector). Using the present frequency measurement system, we have demonstrated the first optical frequency measurement of ¹²C¹⁶O overtone absorption lines around 1.56 μm with the uncertainty of lower than 900 kHz.