Optical frequency comb generator based on actively mode-locked fiber ring laser using an acousto-optic modulator with...

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Laser Technology
• Optical Engineering
• Fiber Optics

Background:

• Optical frequency combs (OFCs) are crucial for precise frequency measurements and advanced spectroscopy.
• Existing fiber ring-based OFCGs often have limitations in bandwidth and mode-locking stability.
• Active mode-locking techniques offer potential for enhanced performance in OFCGs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-bandwidth optical frequency comb generator (OFCG) using a fiber ring laser.
• To achieve stable, actively mode-locked pulse operation through external injection seeding.
• To demonstrate a record-breaking comb bandwidth for this class of device.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a fiber ring laser configuration with an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) for active mode-locking.
• Employed external injection seeding to initiate and stabilize mode-locked pulse operation.
• Characterized the spectral bandwidth of the generated optical frequency comb.

Main Results:

• Achieved an optical frequency comb generator (OFCG) with a spectral bandwidth exceeding 1.8 THz.
• Successfully demonstrated actively mode-locked pulse operation via external injection seeding.
• The developed OFCG represents the widest comb bandwidth reported for an AOM-based fiber ring loop OFCG.

Conclusions:

• The presented actively mode-locked fiber ring laser OFCG offers unprecedented bandwidth.
• This work establishes a new benchmark for AOM-based OFCGs in terms of spectral width.
• The device shows significant potential for applications requiring broad optical frequency combs.