Kerr Frequency Combs: A Million ways to fit light pulses into tiny rings

TL;DR

Kerr frequency combs generated in tiny optical resonators produce diverse light waveforms through nonlinear dynamics, enabling numerous applications in spectroscopy, Lidar, and telecommunications.

Contribution

This paper highlights the versatility of Kerr frequency combs in tiny resonators and their potential for various optical waveform generation and applications.

Findings

Generation of diverse optical waveforms including ultrastable pulses and chaos

Extensive nonlinear dynamics observed in Kerr frequency combs

Potential applications in spectroscopy, Lidar, and telecom channels

Abstract

Frequency combs can be generated in millimeter-sized optical resonators thanks to their ability to store extremely high light intensities and the nonlinearity of their materials. New frequencies are generated through a cascaded parametric amplification process which can result in various optical waveforms, from ultrastable pulse patterns to optical chaos. These Kerr frequency combs have been studied extensively, with a wealth of fascinating nonlinear dynamics reported, and myriads of applications being developed, ranging from precision spectroscopy and Lidars to telecom channel generators.