Spectral and temporal characterization of a fused-quartz microresonator optical frequency comb

TL;DR

This paper reports the fabrication of high-Q fused-quartz microresonators and the generation of a stable 36 GHz frequency comb suitable for precision metrology, with detailed spectral and temporal characterization.

Contribution

It introduces a novel fused-quartz microresonator platform capable of producing a stable, high-line-spacing optical frequency comb with detailed stability analysis.

Findings

Generated a 36 GHz line-spacing frequency comb

Achieved near-transform-limited picosecond pulse trains

Demonstrated good phase and amplitude stability

Abstract

We report on the fabrication of high-Q, fused-quartz microresonators and the parametric generation of a frequency comb with 36 GHz line spacing using them. We have characterized the intrinsic stability of the comb in both the time and frequency domains to assess its suitability for future precision metrology applications. Intensity autocorrelation measurements and line-by-line comb control reveal near-transform-limited picosecond pulse trains that are associated with good relative phase and amplitude stability of the comb lines. The comb's 36 GHz line spacing can be readily photodetected, which enables measurements of its intrinsic and absolute phase fluctuations.