No Arabic abstract
The road towards the realization of quantum cascade laser (QCL) frequency combs (QCL-combs) has undoubtedly attracted ubiquitous attention from the scientific community, as these devices promise to deliver all-in-one (i.e. a single, miniature, active devices) frequency comb (FC) synthesizers in a range as wide as QCL spectral coverage itself (from about 4 microns to the THz range), with the unique possibility to tailor their spectral emission by band structure engineering. For these reasons, vigorous efforts have been spent to characterize the emission of four-wave-mixing multi-frequency devices, aiming to seize their functioning mechanisms. However, up to now, all the reported studies focused on free-running QCL-combs, eluding the fundamental ingredient that turns a FC into a useful metrological tool. For the first time we have combined mode-locked multi-frequency QCL emitters with full phase stabilization and independent control of the two FC degrees of freedom. At the same time, we have introduced the Fourier transform analysis of comb emission (FACE) technique, used for measuring and simultaneously monitoring the Fourier phases of the QCL-comb modes. The demonstration of tailored-emission, miniaturized, electrically-driven, mid-infrared/THz coverage, fully-stabilized and fully-controlled QCL-combs finally enables this technology for metrological-grade applications triggering a new scientific leap affecting several fields ranging from everyday life to frontier-research.
We demonstrate two fully and tightly phase locked 750 MHz ytterbium (Yb) fiber frequency combs that are independently stabilized to a continuous wave (CW) laser with <1 rad RMS phase error. A bulk EOM and a single stack PZT are separately utilized as the fast actuators for cavity length stabilization. The carrier envelop frequencies are phase locked by single loop feedback to laser diode current, showing 1.6 MHz servo bumps. The in-loop fractional frequency instabilities are ~1.5e-18 at 1s for both combs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest repetition rate in fiber based low phase noise combs tightly locked to optical frequency reference.
Photonic integrated resonators stand out as reliable frequency converters due to their compactness and stability, with second-harmonic generation (SHG) efficiencies of up to 17000%/W reported recently in aluminum nitride microrings. In this work, a sufficiently strong second-harmonic (SH) signal up to microwatts was generated by a photonic integrated frequency doubler using a milliwatt infrared (IR) laser source. Furthermore, increased SHG bandwidth covering $^{85}$Rb and $^{87}$Rb D$_2$ transition lines as well as saturated absorption spectroscopy (SAS) were demonstrated by tuning the pump power and chip temperature. Here, we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first successful locking of an IR laser to Rb saturated absorption lines via a photonic chip frequency doubler.
Frequency combs have revolutionized time and frequency metrology and in recent years, new frequency comb lasers that are highly compact or even on-chip have been demonstrated in the mid-infrared and THz regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The emerging technologies include electrically pumped quantum and interband cascade semiconductor devices, as well as high-quality factor microresonators. In this guest editorial, the authors summarize recent advances in the field, the potential for rapid broadband spectroscopy, as well as the challenges and prospects for use in molecular gas sensing.
Quantum noise will be the dominant noise source for the advanced laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors currently under construction. Squeezing-enhanced laser interferometers have been recently demonstrated as a viable technique to reduce quantum noise. We propose two new methods of generating an error signal for matching the longitudinal phase of squeezed vacuum states of light to the phase of the laser interferometer output field. Both provide a superior signal to the one used in previous demonstrations of squeezing applied to a gravitational-wave detector. We demonstrate that the new signals are less sensitive to misalignments and higher order modes, and result in an improved stability of the squeezing level. The new signals also offer the potential of reducing the overall rms phase noise and optical losses, each of which would contribute to achieving a higher level of squeezing. The new error signals are a pivotal development towards realizing the goal of 6 dB and more of squeezing in advanced detectors and beyond.
Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) represent a fascinating accomplishment of quantum engineering and enable the direct generation of terahertz (THz) frequency radiation from an electrically-biased semiconductor heterostructure. Their large spectral bandwidth, high output powers and quantum-limited linewidths have facilitated the realization of THz pulses by active mode-locking and passive generation of optical frequency combs (FCs) through intracavity four-wave-mixing, albeit over a restricted operational regime. Here, we conceive an integrated architecture for the generation of high power (10 mW) THz FCs comprising an ultrafast THz polaritonic reflector, exploiting intersubband cavity polaritons, and a broad bandwidth (2.3-3.8 THz) heterogeneous THz QCL. Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) represent a fascinating accomplishment of quantum engineering and enable the direct generation of terahertz (THz) frequency radiation from an electrically-biased semiconductor heterostructure. By tuning the group delay dispersion in an integrated geometry, through the exploitation of light induced bleaching of the intersubband-based THz polaritons, we demonstrate spectral reshaping of the QCL emission and stable FC operation over an operational dynamic range of up to 38%, characterized by a single and narrow (down to 700 Hz) intermode beatnote. Our concept provides design guidelines for a new generation of compact, cost-effective, electrically driven chip-scale FC sources based on ultrafast polariton dynamics, paving the way towards the generation of mode locked THz micro-lasers that will strongly impact a broad range of applications in ultrafast sciences, data storage, high-speed communication and spectroscopy.