Repetition-rate multiplication using a single all-pass optical cavity.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optics
• Laser Physics
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• High repetition rate pulse trains are crucial for applications in telecommunications and material processing.
• Existing methods for repetition-rate multiplication often involve complex setups or introduce losses.
• There is a need for simple, efficient techniques to enhance the repetition rate of periodic optical pulses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a simple, lossless method for increasing the repetition rate of periodic optical pulse trains.
• To explore the use of a single all-pass optical cavity (APOC) for repetition-rate multiplication.
• To numerically validate the effectiveness of APOC implementations for factors of 2, 3, and 4.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a single all-pass optical cavity (APOC).
• Utilizing two distinct APOC configurations: a Gires-Tournois interferometer and an all-pass ring resonator.
• Numerical simulations to verify the repetition-rate multiplication effect.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of a simple, lossless method for repetition-rate multiplication.
• Achieved repetition rate multiplication by factors of 2, 3, and 4 using a single APOC.
• Numerical validation of both Gires-Tournois interferometer and all-pass ring resonator based APOCs.

Conclusions:

• A single all-pass optical cavity (APOC) provides an effective and lossless solution for repetition-rate multiplication.
• The proposed APOC method offers a scalable approach for generating higher pulse train frequencies.
• This technique has potential applications in fields requiring high-repetition-rate optical pulses.