Integrated frequency-modulated optical parametric oscillator

Hubert S. Stokowski, Devin J. Dean, Alexander Y. Hwang, Taewon Park, Oguz Tolga Celik, Timothy P. McKenna, Marc Jankowski, Carsten Langrock, Vahid Ansari, Martin M. Fejer and Amir H. Safavi-Naeini ()
Additional contact information
Hubert S. Stokowski: Stanford University
Devin J. Dean: Stanford University
Alexander Y. Hwang: Stanford University
Taewon Park: Stanford University
Oguz Tolga Celik: Stanford University
Timothy P. McKenna: Stanford University
Marc Jankowski: Stanford University
Carsten Langrock: Stanford University
Vahid Ansari: Stanford University
Martin M. Fejer: Stanford University
Amir H. Safavi-Naeini: Stanford University

Nature, 2024, vol. 627, issue 8002, 95-100

Abstract: Abstract Optical frequency combs have revolutionized precision measurement, time-keeping and molecular spectroscopy1–7. A substantial effort has developed around ‘microcombs’: integrating comb-generating technologies into compact photonic platforms5,7–9. Current approaches for generating these microcombs involve either the electro-optic10 or Kerr mechanisms11. Despite rapid progress, maintaining high efficiency and wide bandwidth remains challenging. Here we introduce a previously unknown class of microcomb—an integrated device that combines electro-optics and parametric amplification to yield a frequency-modulated optical parametric oscillator (FM-OPO). In contrast to the other solutions, it does not form pulses but maintains operational simplicity and highly efficient pump power use with an output resembling a frequency-modulated laser12. We outline the working principles of our device and demonstrate it by fabricating the complete optical system in thin-film lithium niobate. We measure pump-to-comb internal conversion efficiency exceeding 93% (34% out-coupled) over a nearly flat-top spectral distribution spanning about 200 modes (over 1 THz). Compared with an electro-optic comb, the cavity dispersion rather than loss determines the FM-OPO bandwidth, enabling broadband combs with a smaller radio-frequency modulation power. The FM-OPO microcomb offers robust operational dynamics, high efficiency and broad bandwidth, promising compact precision tools for metrology, spectroscopy, telecommunications, sensing and computing.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07071-2

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