The article discusses the development of microresonator frequency combs within the NIST-on-a-Chip Program. These combs are generated using integrated photonics and Kerr nonlinear optics, offering milliWatt threshold power for frequency conversion. The project aims to create low-power consumption microcombs for various time and frequency metrology applications.
Key technical points:
– Microcombs are generated by coupling a continuous wave laser to an integrated microresonator
– The first demonstration of optical frequency synthesis with a microcomb was reported
– Interlocked configuration of silica and silicon-nitride resonators was used
– Phase stabilization of repetition and offset frequencies with respect to the SI second was achieved
– Heterogeneously integrated III-V/silicon tunable laser was locked to the stabilized comb
– Optical frequency division was demonstrated, transferring stability of an optical clock laser to all comb modes and a microwave signal
The development of these microcombs represents an important step towards realizing a self-referenced frequency comb with integrated photonics, which could have significant implications for various applications in photonics, including precision timing, ranging, and generation of entangled states.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/microresonator-frequency-combs-nist-chip-program
Keywords: frequency comb, optical frequency synthesis, microresonator, photonic-integrated circuit, self-injection locking
