Method and apparatus for generation of coherent frequency combs

摘要

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses and methods for phase correlated seeding of parametric mixer and for generating coherent frequency combs. The parametric mixer may use two phase-correlated optical waves with different carrier frequencies to generate new optical waves centered at frequencies differing from the input waves, while retaining the input wave coherent properties. In the case when parametric mixer is used to generate frequency combs with small frequency pitch, the phase correlation of the input (seed) waves can be achieved by electro-optical modulator and a single master laser. In the case when frequency comb possessing a frequency pitch that is larger than frequency modulation that can be affected by electro-optic modulator, the phase correlation of the input (seed) waves is achieved by combined use of an electro-optical modulator and injection locking to a single or multiple slave lasers.

主权项

1. An apparatus for generating a frequency comb, the apparatus comprising:
an optical source operable to provide a first optical wave; a wave splitter having an input port and at least two output ports, the input port being optically coupled to the optical source, wherein the wave splitter is operable to split the first optical wave into at least two separate second optical waves at the respective output ports, wherein the at least two second optical waves are characterized by respective first center frequencies separated from each other by a frequency spacing; a set of slave laser sources, wherein each slave laser source is coupled to a respective output port of the wave splitter and operable to emit a respective third optical wave at a respective first center frequency via injection locking; a wave combiner operable to combine the third optical waves emitted by the set of slave laser sources; and a nonlinear optical medium optically coupled to the wave combiner and operable to input the third optical waves and to output a plurality of fourth optical waves characterized by respective second center frequencies separated from each other by the frequency spacing.