US 11,822,207 B2 · Method and apparatus for generating optical frequency comb

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for generating an optical frequency comb. The specific generation method comprises: receiving a pump laser that matches a thermally stable state of a nonlinear optical resonant cavity and causing the pump laser to oscillate in the nonlinear optical resonant cavity, such that a Brillouin gain corresponding to the pump laser coincides with a target longitudinal mode in the nonlinear optical resonant cavity; continuously generating a Brillouin laser at the target longitudinal mode in the case that a pump power of the pump laser exceeds a threshold for generating the Brillouin laser; and generating an optical frequency comb by using the Brillouin laser through a Kerr nonlinear four-wave mixing process. According to the technical solution of the present disclosure, the nonlinear optical resonant cavity with the Brillouin gain can generate an optical frequency comb in its thermally stable region. This optical frequency comb not only has good stability, but also has low quantum noise and narrow linewidth characteristics.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for generating an optical frequency comb, comprising:

receiving a pump laser that matches a thermally stable state of a nonlinear optical resonant cavity and causing the pump laser to oscillate in the nonlinear optical resonant cavity;
adjusting the nonlinear optical resonant cavity, such that a Brillouin gain corresponding to the pump laser coincides with a target longitudinal mode in the nonlinear optical resonant cavity;
continuously generating Brillouin laser at the target longitudinal mode in the case that a pump power of the pump laser exceeds a threshold for generating the Brillouin laser;
and
generating an optical frequency comb including optical solitons by using the Brillouin laser through a Kerr nonlinear four-wave mixing process.

2 more elements

An apparatus for generating an optical frequency comb, comprising:

a pumping source, configured to emit a continuous pump laser to a nonlinear optical resonant cavity;
wherein the pumping source changes a wavelength of the pump laser in a controlled manner, such that the wavelength of the pump laser matches a thermally stable state of the nonlinear optical resonant cavity, and that the pump laser oscillates in the thermally stable state of the nonlinear optical resonant cavity and is emitted from the nonlinear optical resonant cavity;
and
the nonlinear optical resonant cavity, configured to align the received pump laser to a certain longitudinal mode in a first set of longitudinal modes in the nonlinear optical resonant cavity;
wherein the nonlinear optical resonant cavity changes a position of a Brillouin gain corresponding to the pump laser or changes a position of a target longitudinal mode in a second set of longitudinal modes in the nonlinear optical resonant cavity in a controlled manner, such that the Brillouin gain coincides with the target longitudinal mode;
and wherein the nonlinear optical resonant cavity continuously generates a Brillouin laser at the target longitudinal mode in the case that a pump power of the pump laser exceeds a threshold for generating the Brillouin laser;
and wherein the Brillouin laser generates the optical frequency comb through a Kerr nonlinear four-wave mixing process.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for generating optical frequency comb

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for generating optical frequency comb

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13