Optical frequency comb control
OwnerBrandon F. Redding, Joseph Brady Murrayinventors
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Abstract
Optical frequency combs are used for a wide range of applications, some of which require precise control of the amplitude and phase of individual comb teeth. A technique is provided for tooth-level optical frequency comb control. A frequency comb may include a plurality of comb teeth that are separated from one another by a comb frequency spacing. This technique includes generating a train of control pulses, each of the control pulses being frequency-locked to a corresponding tooth of an optical frequency comb to be controlled. The tooth-level control of the frequency comb is enabled via stimulated Brillouin scattering using the train of control pulses.
Claims20
A method for optical frequency comb control, comprising:
- generating a train of control pulses, each of the control pulses being frequency-locked to a corresponding tooth of an optical frequency comb to be controlled, the frequency comb having a plurality of comb teeth that are separated from one another by a comb frequency spacing;
- and
- individually modulating each comb tooth of the plurality of comb teeth via stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) using the train of control pulses.
A system for optical frequency comb control, comprising:
- a seed laser configured to generate an initial control pulse of a train of control pulses, each of the control pulses being frequency-locked to a corresponding tooth of an optical frequency comb to be controlled, the frequency comb having a plurality of comb teeth that are separated from one another by a comb frequency spacing;
- a stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) gain medium configured to enable tooth-level control of the frequency comb via SBS using the train of control pulses;
- a recirculating fiber loop configured to generate the train of control pulses, the fiber loop comprising
- a frequency shifting element configured to shift a frequency of the initial control pulse by a predetermined frequency to generate a first control pulse after the initial control pulse is coupled into the fiber loop;
- and
- an amplifier configured to amplify the first control pulse to compensate for loss,
- wherein the control pulses are separated from one another by the predetermined frequency that is equal to the comb frequency spacing.
A method for optical frequency comb control, comprising:
- generating a train of control pulses, each of the control pulses being frequency-locked to a corresponding tooth of an optical frequency comb to be controlled, the frequency comb having a plurality of comb teeth that are separated from one another by a comb frequency spacing;
- and
- enabling tooth-level control of the frequency comb via stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) using the train of control pulses,
- wherein providing tooth-level control of the optical frequency comb comprises:
- coupling the train of control pulses into an SBS gain medium such that the train of control pulses propagates in a direction that is opposite of a direction of the frequency comb to allow one or more comb teeth of the frequency comb to be selectively and independently controlled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.