A low-phase-noise 18 GHz Kerr frequency microcomb phase-locked over 65 THz

TL;DR

This paper presents a low-phase-noise 18 GHz Kerr microcomb with a record number of phase-locked lines, demonstrating its potential for high-speed communications and precision metrology.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate a high-quality, low-noise Kerr frequency comb with 3,600 lines at 18 GHz, using a silicon nitride microresonator with optimized dispersion.

Findings

Achieved -130 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz offset.

Generated 3,600 phase-locked comb lines.

Demonstrated frequency stability with 7x10^-11 Allan deviation.

Abstract

Laser frequency combs are coherent light sources that simultaneously provide pristine frequency spacings for precision metrology and the fundamental basis for ultrafast and attosecond sciences. Recently, nonlinear parametric conversion in high-Q microresonators has been suggested as an alternative platform for optical frequency combs, though almost all in 100 GHz frequencies or more. Here we report a low-phase-noise on-chip Kerr frequency comb with mode spacing compatible with high-speed silicon optoelectronics. The waveguide cross-section of the silicon nitride spiral resonator is designed to possess small and flattened group velocity dispersion, so that the Kerr frequency comb contains a record-high number of 3,600 phase-locked comb lines. We study the single-sideband phase noise as well as the long-term frequency stability and report the lowest phase noise floor achieved to date with -130 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset for the 18 GHz Kerr comb oscillator, along with feedback stabilization to achieve frequency Allan deviations of 7x10-11 in 1 s. The reported system is a promising compact platform for achieving self-referenced Kerr frequency combs and also for high-capacity coherent communication architectures.