Exploring dynamics and applications of temporal Kerr soliton frequency combs
Abstract
Mode locked laser based optical frequency combs, which consist of equidistant laser lines, have revolutionized time keeping, metrology, spectroscopy and optical sensing. Conventional optical frequency combs based on mode locked lasers are still mostly confined to scientific laboratories due to their large sizes, high costs and complex structures. In the past decade, there has been rapid advances in the development of optical frequency combs based on compact, chip scale microresonators (“microcomb”) , owing to the prominent compactness, low power threshold, high repetition rates in the GHz THz regime, and the compatibility they offer with wafer scale manufacturing. Since the discovery in 2013 by the research group led by Prof. T. J. Kippenberg at EPFL, microcombs based on dissipative Kerr solitons (DKS) in optical Kerr microresonators have quickly become the dominant topic in the field of microcombs. DKS are temporal solitary optical waves that arise from the double balance of nonlinearity and dispersion as well as dissipation and gain, which theoretically can be described by the mean field Lugiato Lefever equation. Coherently driven by a monochromatic laser field, these temporal analogues of spatial dissipative solitons can be formed in microresonators, resulting in femtosecond pulse trains with extremely stable repetition rates. When operating in the regime of DKS, microcombs present smooth optical spectra, unprecedented high coherence and broad octave spanning bandwidth. The present proposal will advance our understanding and use of solitons in optical micro resonators in several ways and address several outstanding challenges. It is grouped into two main axes. The first axis focuses on advancing the understanding and capabilities of synthesizing ultrashort and ultra broadband soliton spectra. It will explore DKS in new parameter regimes, advancing photonic structures that are capable of generating solitons and extending the spectral range.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 14, 2022
- Source ID
- FA95501910250
Entities
People
- Tobias Kippenberg
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne
- United States Air Force