Driven bright solitons on a mid-infrared laser chip

Area of Science:

• Integrated photonics
• Quantum optics
• Semiconductor laser technology

Background:

• Compact mid-infrared (3-12 μm) ultrafast pulse sources are currently limited.
• Existing sources are bulky, inefficient, and rely on complex downconversion methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel, compact, and efficient semiconductor laser chip for mid-infrared pulse generation.
• To establish a turnkey solution for generating bright solitons in the mid-infrared wavelength range.

Main Methods:

• Development of a purely DC-driven semiconductor laser chip with integrated components.
• Utilizing a fast bistability in active nonlinear laser resonators for soliton generation.
• Monolithic integration of drive laser, active ring resonator, coupler, and pump filter.

Main Results:

• Generation of 1-picosecond (ps) solitons at an 8.3 μm center wavelength.
• Operation at GHz repetition rates with robust, stable output for hours.
• Demonstration of a scheme unifying active and passive microresonator frequency comb physics.

Conclusions:

• The developed laser chip provides a compact, efficient, and turnkey solution for mid-infrared soliton generation.
• This technology enables accessible nonlinear integrated photonics in the mid-infrared.
• The device can be manufactured using standard industrial fabrication protocols.