Optical frequency comb generation based on the dual-mode square microlaser and a nonlinear fiber loop

• Published in: Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Lasers and optics, 2018-05, Vol.124 (5), p.1-6, Article 91
• Main Authors: Weng, Hai-Zhong, Han, Jun-Yuan, Li, Qing, Yang, Yue-De, Xiao, Jin-Long, Qin, Guan-Shi, Huang, Yong-Zhen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Broadband; Engineering; Four-wave mixing; Injection current; Lasers; Mid-infrared and THz Laser Sources and Applications; Optical communication; Optical Devices; Optical frequency; Optics; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Pulse duration; Quantum Optics; Repetition
• ISSN: 0946-2171; 1432-0649
• DOI: 10.1007/s00340-018-6959-0

A novel approach using a dual-mode square microlaser as the pump source is demonstrated to produce wideband optical frequency comb (OFC). The enhanced nonlinear frequency conversion processes are accomplished in a nonlinear fiber loop, which can reduce the stimulated Brillouin scattering threshold and then generate a dual-mode Brillouin laser with improved optical signal-to-noise ratio. An OFC with 130 nm bandwidth and 76 GHz repetition rate is successfully generated under the four-wave mixing, and the number of the comb lines is enhanced by ~ 26 times compared with the system without fiber loop. In addition, the repetition rate of the comb can be adjusted by changing the injection current of the microlaser. The pulse width of the comb spectrum is also compressed from 3 to 1 ps with an extra amplification-nonlinear process.