No Arabic abstract
Recent experiments have demonstrated the generation of widely-spaced parametric sidebands that can evolve into clustered optical frequency combs in Kerr microresonators. Here we describe the physics that underpins the formation of such clustered comb states. In particular, we show that the phase-matching required for the initial sideband generation is such that (at least) one of the sidebands experiences anomalous dispersion, enabling that sideband to drive frequency comb formation via degenerate and non-degenerate four-wave mixing. We validate our proposal through a combination of experimental observations made in a magnesium-fluoride microresonator and corresponding numerical simulations. We also investigate the coherence properties of the resulting clustered frequency combs. Our findings provide valuable insights on the generation and dynamics of widely-spaced parametric sidebands and clustered frequency combs in Kerr microresonators.
Kerr optical frequency combs with multi-gigahertz spacing have previously been demonstrated in chip-scale microresonators, with potential applications in coherent communication, spectroscopy, arbitrary waveform generation, and radio frequency photonic oscillators. In general, the harmonics of a frequency comb are identically polarized in a single microresonator. In this work, we report that one comb in one polarization is generated by an orthogonally polarized soliton comb and two low-noise, orthogonally polarized combs interact with each other and exist simultaneously in a single microresonator. The second comb generation is attributed to the strong cross-phase modulation with the orthogonally polarized soliton comb and the high peak power of the intracavity soliton pulse. Experimental results show that a second frequency comb is excited even when a continuous wave light as a seed-with power as low as 0.1 mW-is input, while its own power level is below the threshold of comb generation. Moreover, the second comb has a concave envelope, which is different from the sech2 envelope of the soliton comb. This is due to the frequency mismatch between the harmonics and the resonant frequency. We also find that the repetition rates of these two combs coincide, although two orthogonal resonant modes are characterized by different free spectral ranges.
We use numerical simulations based on an extended Lugiato-Lefever equation (LLE) to investigate the stability properties of Kerr frequency combs generated in microresonators. In particular, we show that an ensemble average calculated over sequences of output fields separated by a fixed number of resonator roundtrips allows the coherence of Kerr combs to be quantified in terms of the complex-degree of first-order coherence. We identify different regimes of comb coherence, linked to the solutions of the LLE. Our approach provides a practical and unambiguous way of assessing the stability of Kerr combs that is directly connected to an accessible experimental quantity.
Using the known solutions of the Lugiato-Lefever equation, we derive universal trends of Kerr frequency combs. In particular, normalized properties of temporal cavity soliton solutions lead us to a simple analytic estimate of the maximum attainable bandwidth for given pump-resonator parameters. The result is validated via comparison with past experiments encompassing a diverse range of resonator configurations and parameters.
We introduce the first principle model describing frequency comb generation in a WGM microresonator with the backscattering-induced coupling between the counter-propagating waves. {Elaborated model provides deep insight and accurate description of the complex dynamics of nonlinear processes in such systems.} We analyse the backscattering impact on the splitting and reshaping of the nonlinear resonances, demonstrate backscattering-induced modulational instability in the normal dispersion regime and subsequent frequency comb generation. We present and discuss novel features of the soliton comb dynamics induced by the backward wave.
We predict the existence of a novel type of the flat-top dissipative solitonic pulses, platicons, in microresonators with normal group velocity dispersion (GVD). We propose methods to generate these platicons from cw pump. Their duration may be altered significantly by tuning the pump frequency. The transformation of a discrete energy spectrum of dark solitons of the Lugiato-Lefever equation into a quasicontinuous spectrum of platicons is demonstrated. Generation of similar structures is also possible with bi-harmonic, phase/amplitude modulated pump or via laser injection locking.