Active tuning of dispersive waves in Kerr soliton combs

Abstract

Kerr soliton combs operate in the anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime through the excitation of dissipative solitons. The generated bandwidth is largely dependent on the cavity dispersion, with higher-order dispersion contributing to dispersive-wave (DW) generation that allows for power enhancement of the comb lines at the wings of the spectrum. However, the spectral position of the DW is highly sensitive to the overall cavity dispersion, and the inevitable dimension variations that occur during the fabrication process result in deviations in the DW emission wavelength. Here, we demonstrate active tuning of the DW wavelength, enabling post-fabrication spectral shaping of the soliton spectrum. We control the DW position by introducing a wavelength-controllable avoided mode crossing through actively tuning the resonances of a silicon nitride coupled microresonator via integrated heaters. We demonstrate DW tuning over 113 nm with a spectral power that can exceed the peak soliton spectral power. In addition, our modeling reveals buildup and enhancement of the DW in the auxiliary resonator, indicating that the mode hybridization arising from the strong coupling between the two resonators is critical for DW formation.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Apr 20, 2022
Source ID
10.1364/ol.456609

Entities

People

  • Alexander L. Gaeta
  • Bok Young Kim
  • Jae K. Jang
  • Michal Lipson
  • Xingchen Ji
  • Yoshitomo Okawachi
  • Yun Zhao

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Army Research Office
  • Columbia University
  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.