Kerr-microresonator solitons for accurate carrier-envelope-frequency stabilization

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates carrier-envelope phase stabilization of Kerr-microresonator frequency combs on silicon chips, achieving high accuracy and stability suitable for advanced optical applications.

Contribution

It introduces an interlocked Kerr-comb system with harmonic repetition frequencies, supporting ultrafast pulses and low power operation, advancing integrated optical frequency comb technology.

Findings

Fractional-frequency inaccuracy <3x10^-16

Supports ultrafast 1-ps soliton pulses with 170 THz bandwidth

Operates with <250 mW power for mobile applications

Abstract

Carrier-envelope phase stabilization of optical pulses enables exquisitely precise measurements by way of direct optical-frequency synthesis, absolute optical-to-microwave phase conversion, and control of ultrafast waveforms. We report such phase stabilization for Kerr-microresonator frequency combs integrated on silicon chips, and verify their fractional-frequency inaccuracy at <3x10-16. Our work introduces an interlocked Kerr-comb configuration comprised of one silicon-nitride and one silica microresonator, which feature nearly harmonic repetition frequencies and can be generated with one laser. These frequency combs support an ultrafast-laser regime with few-optical-cycle, 1-picosecond-period soliton pulses and a total dispersive-wave-enhanced bandwidth of 170 THz, while providing a stable phase-link between the optical and microwave domains. To accommodate low-power and mobile application platforms, our phase-locked frequency-comb system operates with <250 mW of chip-coupled power. Our work establishes Kerr-microresonator combs as a viable technology for applications like optical-atomic timekeeping, optical synthesis, and related directions.