Supercontinuum-based 10-GHz flat-topped optical frequency comb generation
Journal article, 2013

The generation of high-repetition-rate optical frequency combs with an ultra-broad, coherent and smooth spectrum is important for many applications in optical communications, radio-frequency photonics and optical arbitrary waveform generation. Usually, nonlinear broadening techniques of comb-based sources do not provide the required flatness over the whole available bandwidth. Here we present a 10-GHz ultra-broadband flat-topped optical frequency comb (> 3.64-THz or 28 nm bandwidth with ∼365 spectral lines within 3.5-dB power variation) covering the entire Cband. The key enabling point is the development of a pre-shaping-free directly generated Gaussian comb-based 10-GHz pulse train to seed a highly nonlinear fiber with normal dispersion profile. The combination of the temporal characteristics of the seed pulses with the nonlinear device allows the pulses to enter into the optical wave-breaking regime, thus achieving a smooth flat-topped comb spectral envelope. To further illustrate the high spectral coherence of the comb, we demonstrate high-quality pedestal-free short pulse compression to the transform-limited duration. © 2013 Optical Society of America\e.

Author

Rui Wu

Purdue University

Victor Torres Company

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Photonics

D.E. Leaird

Purdue University

A.M. Weiner

Purdue University

Optics Express

1094-4087 (ISSN) 10944087 (eISSN)

Vol. 21 5 6045-6052

Areas of Advance

Information and Communication Technology

Subject Categories

Telecommunications

DOI

10.1364/OE.21.006045

More information

Latest update

3/21/2023