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Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
Published on: June 8, 2018
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Mode-locked optomechanical frequency combs in a graphene-silica microresonator.
Hao Zhang1, Yu-Pei Liang1, Teng Tan1
1Key Laboratory of Optical Fibre Sensing and Communications (Education Ministry of China), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Science Advances
|October 22, 2025
Summary
Researchers demonstrate a new method for mode-locked optomechanical microcombs using photon-electron-phonon interactions. This technique achieves high repetition stability, comparable to atomic clocks, for advanced optics applications.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
- Quantum Optics
Background:
- Mode locking is crucial for generating pulsed waveforms in photonic and electronic sources.
- Applications include ultrafast optics, high-field optics, and frequency comb generation.
- Optomechanical systems offer novel ways to control light using mechanical motion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel mechanism for exciting mode-locked optomechanical microcombs.
- To investigate the role of photon-electron-phonon interactions in this process.
- To achieve high stability and low phase noise in microcomb generation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a graphene-deposited silica microresonator.
- Leveraged the synergy of optomechanical back action and graphene saturable absorption.
- Employed frequency division techniques for stability analysis.
Main Results:
- Successfully excited mode-locked optomechanical microcombs.
- Observed photon-electron-phonon interactions driving the mode locking.
- Achieved repetition stability with phase noise of -110.5 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz offset.
- Demonstrated an Allan deviation as low as 3 × 10-12 at 20 seconds.
Conclusions:
- The study presents a new pathway for generating stable optical frequency combs.
- Photon-electron-phonon interactions are key to achieving mode-locked optomechanical microcombs.
- The achieved stability rivals that of standard rubidium clocks, opening new application avenues.
