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High-Power Picosecond Pulsed Kerr Soliton Microcombs
Liu Yang1,2,3, Keisuke Ogawa1, Ryomei Takabayashi2
1Keio University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan.
Physical Review Letters
|February 16, 2026
Summary
Researchers explored new ways to generate high-power optical frequency combs using Kerr soliton microcombs in birefringent microresonators. This discovery overcomes limitations in power and efficiency for these compact devices.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Nonlinear Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Dissipative Kerr solitons in microresonators are key for generating frequency combs.
- Current limitations in output power and conversion efficiency hinder practical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discover new operational regimes for Kerr soliton microcombs.
- To enhance output power and conversion efficiency.
- To achieve picosecond pulse widths and low repetition rates.
Main Methods:
- Exploiting strong mode interaction in birefringent crystalline microresonators.
- Experimental demonstration of single-soliton microcombs.
- Numerical analysis using the Lugiato-Lefever equation.
Main Results:
- Achieved average powers up to 24 and 38 mW.
- Demonstrated double-digit percentage conversion efficiency.
- Observed microwave soliton repetition rates as low as 15.5 GHz.
- Obtained picosecond pulse widths.
Conclusions:
- Unexplored regimes yield high-power, efficient Kerr soliton microcombs.
- Birefringent microresonators are crucial for enhanced performance.
- Results advance microresonator frequency comb technology and soliton physics understanding.
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