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Published on: November 22, 2019
Mode-locked ultrashort pulse generation from on-chip normal dispersion microresonators
1Mesoscopic Optics and Quantum Electronics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA and Optical Nanostructures Laboratory, Center for Integrated Science and Engineering, Solid-State Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
Stable mode-locked pulse trains were generated from on-chip microresonators by controlling pump power and detuning. This method achieves a broad 200 nm spectral width, crucial for advanced optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Nonlinear Optics
- Microresonator Devices
Background:
- Microresonators are key for generating optical frequency combs.
- Achieving stable mode-locking in normal dispersion regimes is challenging.
- Hyperparametric oscillation is a precursor to mode-locking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate stable mode-locked pulse train generation in on-chip normal dispersion microresonators.
- To investigate the transition from hyperparametric oscillation to mode-locking.
- To analyze factors influencing pulse structure and stability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized on-chip normal dispersion microresonators.
- Excited hyperparametric oscillations via mode interactions.
- Controlled pump power and detuning to achieve mode-locking.
- Numerically solved the master equation to examine dynamics.
Main Results:
- Generated stable mode-locked pulse trains with over 200 nm spectral width.
- Observed pulses on a pedestal, characteristic of cavity solitons.
- Identified pump detuning and wavelength-dependent Q-factors as critical for pulse stabilization.
- Achieved single-pulse operation within the cavity.
Conclusions:
- On-chip normal dispersion microresonators can reliably generate broadband, stable mode-locked pulses.
- Pump control and resonator properties are vital for achieving stable, single-soliton mode-locking.
- The findings provide insights into nonlinear dynamics for optical pulse generation.
