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Liang Y, Liu M, Tang F, Guo Y, Zhang H, Liu S, Yang Y, Zhao G, Tan T, Yao B. Harnessing sub-comb dynamics in a graphene-sensitized microresonator for gas detection. FRONTIERS OF OPTOELECTRONICS 2024; 17:12. [PMID: 38689035 PMCID: PMC11061063 DOI: 10.1007/s12200-024-00115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Since their inception, frequency combs generated in microresonators, known as microcombs, have sparked significant scientific interests. Among the various applications leveraging microcombs, soliton microcombs are often preferred due to their inherent mode-locking capability. However, this choice introduces additional system complexity because an initialization process is required. Meanwhile, despite the theoretical understanding of the dynamics of other comb states, their practical potential, particularly in applications like sensing where simplicity is valued, remains largely untapped. Here, we demonstrate controllable generation of sub-combs that bypasses the need for accessing bistable regime. And in a graphene-sensitized microresonator, the sub-comb heterodynes produce stable, accurate microwave signals for high-precision gas detection. By exploring the formation dynamics of sub-combs, we achieved 2 MHz harmonic comb-to-comb beat notes with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) greater than 50 dB and phase noise as low as - 82 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset. The graphene sensitization on the intracavity probes results in exceptional frequency responsiveness to the adsorption of gas molecules on the graphene of microcavity surface, enabling detect limits down to the parts per billion (ppb) level. This synergy between graphene and sub-comb formation dynamics in a microcavity structure showcases the feasibility of utilizing microcombs in an incoherent state prior to soliton locking. It may mark a significant step toward the development of easy-to-operate, systemically simple, compact, and high-performance photonic sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yupei Liang
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Mingyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Fan Tang
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Yanhong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Shihan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Yanping Yang
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Guangming Zhao
- Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Teng Tan
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
| | - Baicheng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications (Ministry of Education), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
- Engineering Center of Integrated Optoelectronic & Radio Meta-Chips, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, 611731, China.
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2
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Lei F, Ye Z, Twayana K, Gao Y, Girardi M, Helgason ÓB, Zhao P, Torres-Company V. Hyperparametric Oscillation via Bound States in the Continuum. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:093801. [PMID: 36930933 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.093801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Optical hyperparametric oscillation based on the third-order nonlinearity is one of the most significant mechanisms to generate coherent electromagnetic radiation and produce quantum states of light. Advances in dispersion-engineered high-Q microresonators allow for generating signal waves far from the pump and decrease the oscillation power threshold to submilliwatt levels. However, the pump-to-signal conversion efficiency and absolute signal power are low, fundamentally limited by parasitic mode competition and attainable cavity intrinsic Q to coupling Q ratio, i.e., Q_{i}/Q_{c}. Here, we use Friedrich-Wintgen bound states in the continuum (BICs) to overcome the physical challenges in an integrated microresonator-waveguide system. As a result, on-chip coherent hyperparametric oscillation is generated in BICs with unprecedented conversion efficiency and absolute signal power. This work not only opens a path to generate high-power and efficient continuous-wave electromagnetic radiation in Kerr nonlinear media but also enhances the understanding of a microresonator-waveguide system-an elementary unit of modern photonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuchuan Lei
- Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Zhichao Ye
- Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Krishna Twayana
- Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yan Gao
- Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marcello Girardi
- Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Óskar B Helgason
- Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ping Zhao
- Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Victor Torres-Company
- Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Choi G, Su J. Impact of stimulated Raman scattering on dark soliton generation in a silica microresonator. JPHYS PHOTONICS 2023; 5:014001. [PMID: 36698962 PMCID: PMC9855653 DOI: 10.1088/2515-7647/aca8e1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Generating a coherent optical frequency comb at an arbitrary wavelength is important for fields such as precision spectroscopy and optical communications. Dark solitons which are coherent states of optical frequency combs in normal dispersion microresonators can extend the operating wavelength range of these combs. While the existence and dynamics of dark solitons has been examined extensively, requirements for the modal interaction for accessing the soliton state in the presence of a strong Raman interaction at near visible wavelengths has been less explored. Here, analysis on the parametric and Raman gain in a silica microresonator is performed, revealing that four-wave mixing parametric gain which can be created by a modal-interaction-aided additional frequency shift is able to exceed the Raman gain. The existence range of the dark soliton is analyzed as a function of pump power and detuning for given modal coupling conditions. We anticipate these results will benefit fields requiring optical frequency combs with high efficiency and selectable wavelength such as biosensing applications using silica microcavities that have a strong Raman gain in the normal dispersion regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwangho Choi
- Wyant College of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America
| | - Judith Su
- Wyant College of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America
- Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed
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4
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Sayson NLB, Pham H, Webb KE, Ng V, Trainor LS, Schwefel HGL, Coen S, Erkintalo M, Murdoch SG. Origins of clustered frequency combs in Kerr microresonators. OPTICS LETTERS 2018; 43:4180-4183. [PMID: 30160746 DOI: 10.1364/ol.43.004180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent experiments have demonstrated the generation of widely spaced parametric sidebands that can evolve into "clustered" optical frequency combs in Kerr microresonators. Here we describe the physics that underpins the formation of such clustered comb states. In particular, we show that the phase matching required for the initial sideband generation is such that (at least) one of the sidebands experiences anomalous dispersion, enabling the sideband to drive frequency comb formation via degenerate and non-degenerate four-wave mixing. We validate our proposal through a combination of experimental observations made in a magnesium-fluoride microresonator and corresponding numerical simulations. We also investigate the coherence properties of the resulting clustered frequency combs. Our findings provide valuable insights on the generation and dynamics of widely spaced parametric sidebands and clustered frequency combs in Kerr microresonators.
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Fülöp A, Mazur M, Lorences-Riesgo A, Helgason ÓB, Wang PH, Xuan Y, Leaird DE, Qi M, Andrekson PA, Weiner AM, Torres-Company V. High-order coherent communications using mode-locked dark-pulse Kerr combs from microresonators. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1598. [PMID: 29686226 PMCID: PMC5913129 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04046-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microresonator frequency combs harness the nonlinear Kerr effect in an integrated optical cavity to generate a multitude of phase-locked frequency lines. The line spacing can reach values in the order of 100 GHz, making it an attractive multi-wavelength light source for applications in fiber-optic communications. Depending on the dispersion of the microresonator, different physical dynamics have been observed. A recently discovered comb state corresponds to the formation of mode-locked dark pulses in a normal-dispersion microcavity. Such dark-pulse combs are particularly compelling for advanced coherent communications since they display unusually high power-conversion efficiency. Here, we report the first coherent-transmission experiments using 64-quadrature amplitude modulation encoded onto the frequency lines of a dark-pulse comb. The high conversion efficiency of the comb enables transmitted optical signal-to-noise ratios above 33 dB, while maintaining a laser pump power level compatible with state-of-the-art hybrid silicon lasers. Dark-pulse combs may be useful for coherent communications since they display high power conversion efficiency. Here, the authors report the first demonstration of coherent wavelength division multiplexing using dark pulse microresonator combs high signal-to-noise while maintaining a low on-chip pump power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Fülöp
- Photonics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Mikael Mazur
- Photonics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Abel Lorences-Riesgo
- Photonics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Göteborg, Sweden.,IT-Instituto de Telecomunicações, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Óskar B Helgason
- Photonics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Pei-Hsun Wang
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2035, USA
| | - Yi Xuan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2035, USA.,Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2035, USA
| | - Dan E Leaird
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2035, USA
| | - Minghao Qi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2035, USA.,Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2035, USA
| | - Peter A Andrekson
- Photonics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Andrew M Weiner
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2035, USA.,Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2035, USA
| | - Victor Torres-Company
- Photonics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Göteborg, Sweden.
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Bendahmane A, Fatome J, Finot C, Millot G, Kibler B. Coherent and incoherent seeding of dissipative modulation instability in a nonlinear fiber ring cavity. OPTICS LETTERS 2017; 42:251-254. [PMID: 28081085 DOI: 10.1364/ol.42.000251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the coherent or incoherent seeding of dissipative modulation instability (MI) in a nonlinear fiber ring cavity. By varying wavelength and degree of coherence of the seed signal across the MI gain band, we observe a strong sensitivity of the resulting MI sidebands in terms of bandwidth and amplification. Both spectral and temporal characterizations are performed to reveal intensity coherence properties (over a single round-trip) of the generated temporal patterns. Experimental observations are well confirmed by numerical simulations. Our results provide new insights into the control of dissipative MI through a specific seeding in optical resonators with a moderate free-spectral range. In particular, a large tunability of the subsequent Kerr comb spacing is achieved by means of the early transient stage of seeded MI growth.
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Metcalf AJ, Kim HJ, Leaird DE, Jaramillo-Villegas JA, McKinzie KA, Lal V, Hosseini A, Hoefler GE, Kish F, Weiner AM. Integrated line-by-line optical pulse shaper for high-fidelity and rapidly reconfigurable RF-filtering. OPTICS EXPRESS 2016; 24:23925-23940. [PMID: 27828227 DOI: 10.1364/oe.24.023925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We present a 32 channel indium phosphide integrated pulse shaper with 25 GHz channel spacing, where each channel is equipped with a semiconductor optical amplifier allowing for programmable line-by-line gain control with submicrosecond reconfigurability. We critically test the integrated pulse shaper by using it in comb-based RF-photonic filtering experiments where the precise gain control is leveraged to synthesize high-fidelity RF filters which we reconfigure on a microsecond time scale. Our on-chip pulse shaping demonstration is unmatched in its combination of speed, fidelity, and flexibility, and will likely open new avenues in the field of advanced broadband signal generation and processing.
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Webb KE, Jang JK, Anthony J, Coen S, Erkintalo M, Murdoch SG. Measurement of microresonator frequency comb coherence by spectral interferometry. OPTICS LETTERS 2016; 41:277-280. [PMID: 26766693 DOI: 10.1364/ol.41.000277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We experimentally investigate the spectral coherence of microresonator optical frequency combs. Specifically, we use a spectral interference method, typically used in the context of supercontinuum generation, to explore the variation of the magnitude of the complex degree of first-order coherence across the full comb bandwidth. We measure the coherence of two different frequency combs and observe wholly different coherence characteristics. In particular, we find that the observed dynamical regimes are similar to the stable and unstable modulation instability regimes reported in previous theoretical studies. Results from numerical simulations are found to be in good agreement with experimental observations. In addition to demonstrating a new technique to assess comb stability, our results provide strong experimental support for previous theoretical analyses.
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9
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Fülöp A, Krückel CJ, Castelló-Lurbe D, Silvestre E, Torres-Company V. Triply resonant coherent four-wave mixing in silicon nitride microresonators. OPTICS LETTERS 2015; 40:4006-4009. [PMID: 26368698 DOI: 10.1364/ol.40.004006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Generation of multiple tones using four-wave mixing (FWM) has been exploited for many applications, ranging from wavelength conversion to frequency comb generation. FWM is a coherent process, meaning that its dynamics strongly depend on the relative phase among the waves involved. The coherent nature of FWM has been exploited for phase-sensitive processing in different waveguide structures, but it has never been studied in integrated microresonators. Waveguides arranged in a resonant way allow for an effective increase in the wavelength conversion efficiency (at the expense of a reduction in the operational bandwidth). In this Letter, we show that phase shaping of a three-wave pump provides an extra degree of freedom for controlling the FWM dynamics in microresonators. We present experimental results in single-mode, normal-dispersion high-Q silicon nitride resonators, and numerical calculations of systems operating in the anomalous dispersion regime. Our results indicate that the wavelength conversion efficiency and modulation instability gain in microcavities pumped by multiple waves can be significantly modified with the aid of simple lossless coherent control techniques.
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Nguyen TG, Shoeiby M, Chu ST, Little BE, Morandotti R, Mitchell A, Moss DJ. Integrated frequency comb source based Hilbert transformer for wideband microwave photonic phase analysis. OPTICS EXPRESS 2015; 23:22087-22097. [PMID: 26368182 DOI: 10.1364/oe.23.022087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a photonic RF Hilbert transformer for broadband microwave in-phase and quadrature-phase generation based on an integrated frequency optical comb, generated using a nonlinear microring resonator based on a CMOS compatible, high-index contrast, doped-silica glass platform. The high quality and large frequency spacing of the comb enables filters with up to 20 taps, allowing us to demonstrate a quadrature filter with more than a 5-octave (3 dB) bandwidth and an almost uniform phase response.
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Burghoff D, Yang Y, Hayton DJ, Gao JR, Reno JL, Hu Q. Evaluating the coherence and time-domain profile of quantum cascade laser frequency combs. OPTICS EXPRESS 2015; 23:1190-202. [PMID: 25835878 DOI: 10.1364/oe.23.001190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Recently, much attention has been focused on the generation of optical frequency combs from quantum cascade lasers. We discuss how fast detectors can be used to demonstrate the mutual coherence of such combs, and present an inequality that can be used to quantitatively evaluate their performance. We discuss several technical issues related to shifted wave interference Fourier Transform spectroscopy (SWIFTS), and show how such measurements can be used to elucidate the time-domain properties of such combs, showing that they can possess signatures of both frequency-modulation and amplitude-modulation.
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Bao C, Zhang L, Matsko A, Yan Y, Zhao Z, Xie G, Agarwal AM, Kimerling LC, Michel J, Maleki L, Willner AE. Nonlinear conversion efficiency in Kerr frequency comb generation. OPTICS LETTERS 2014; 39:6126-6129. [PMID: 25361295 DOI: 10.1364/ol.39.006126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We analytically and numerically investigate the nonlinear conversion efficiency in ring microresonator-based mode-locked frequency combs under different dispersion conditions. Efficiency is defined as the ratio of the average round trip energy values for the generated pulse(s) to the input pump light. We find that the efficiency degrades with growth of the comb spectral width and is inversely proportional to the number of comb lines. It depends on the cold-cavity properties of a microresonator only and can be improved by increasing the coupling coefficient. Also, it can be increased in the multi-soliton state.
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Okawachi Y, Lamont MRE, Luke K, Carvalho DO, Yu M, Lipson M, Gaeta AL. Bandwidth shaping of microresonator-based frequency combs via dispersion engineering. OPTICS LETTERS 2014; 39:3535-3538. [PMID: 24978530 DOI: 10.1364/ol.39.003535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We investigate experimentally and theoretically the role of group-velocity dispersion and higher-order dispersion on the bandwidth of microresonator-based parametric frequency combs. We show that the comb bandwidth and the power contained in the comb can be tailored for a particular application. Additionally, our results demonstrate that fourth-order dispersion plays a critical role in determining the spectral bandwidth for comb bandwidths on the order of an octave.
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