Few-Cycle Frequency Combs in the Mid-Wave Infrared
Abstract
Over the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in generation of frequency combs in the near-infrared using table-top systems, and more recently, using on-chip platforms. However, efficient generation of short-pulse broadband frequency combs in the mid- and long-wavelength infrared remains a significant challenge, especially for on-chip platforms. In the past few years, under a DoD-funded project, the PI’s laboratory has introduced and been studying formation of solitons in optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) as an efficient way of generation of longwavelength broadband frequency combs from short-wavelength narrowband lasers. The recent results of these studies are currently promising unprecedented opportunities towards compact low cost integrated sources of short-pulse frequency combs and octave-spanning tunable single frequency radiation in the mid-wave infrared with low power requirements. Such sources can simultaneously cover spectral fingerprints of a wide range of molecules and can revolutionize molecular sensing challenges. For instance, they can enable real-time detection of traces of biomarkers in the exhaled breath for non-invasive monitoring of the state of health, or they can provide unprecedented opportunities for remote sensing of hazardous materials. The universal sources of this project in the highly desirable wavelength range of 2-5 microm can also find applications for free-space optical communication and laser ranging. This project focuses on ultra-short-pulse frequency combs in the wavelength range of 2-5 microm, where a wealth of molecular fingerprints lie, and uses two complementary experimental platforms for OPOs which have been recently developed in the PI’s laboratory- one based on bulk nonlinear crystals, and the other based on nanophotonic lithium niobate. The requested equipment, i.e. a sensitive high-resolution fast optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) in the wavelength range of 1.9-5.5 microm, will be used in conjunction with the ongoing DoD-funded experiments with these OPO experimental platforms. Addition of this equipment will significantly enhance and broaden the scope of the DoD-funded project on mid-IR sources through significant sensitivity, speed, and resolution enhancement. The project aims to utilize this additional experimental capability to-(i) extend the spectral coverage of the recently demonstrated nanophotonic frequency comb sources to 5 microm,(ii) realize advanced dispersion engineering in nanophotonics and achieve few-cycle soliton requency combs up to 5 microm, (iii) study quadratic soliton dynamics in the mid-IR and their application for molecular sensing and highly efficient sources.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 29, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310091
Entities
People
- Alireza Marandi
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- California Institute of Technology
- United States Air Force