Examples of the present disclosure include the use of a topological system including an array of coupled ring resonators that exhibits topological edge states to generate frequency combs and temporal dissipative Kerr solitons. The topological edge states constitute a travelling-wave super-ring resonator causing generation of at least coherent nested optical frequency combs, and self-formation of nested temporal solitons that are robust against defects in the array at a mode efficiency exceeding 50%.

A radiation source includes: a hollow core optical fiber, a working medium; and a pulsed pump radiation source. The hollow core optical fiber has a body and has a hollow core. The working medium is disposed within the hollow core. The pulsed pump radiation source is arranged to produce pulsed pump radiation that is received by, and propagates through, the hollow core from an input end to an output end. One or more parameters of the pulsed pump radiation, the optical fiber and the working medium are configured to allow soliton self-compression of the pulsed pump radiation so as to change a spectrum of the pulsed pump radiation so as to form output radiation. In some embodiments, a length of the optical fiber is such that the output end substantially coincides with a position at which a temporal extent of the pulsed pump radiation is minimal.

This invention provides a device for improving laser wavelength conversion efficiency and a laser system configured to provide high-power multi-wavelength femtosecond laser pulses using the device. The device for improving laser wavelength conversion efficiency comprises a wavelength conversion member photonic crystal fiber (PCF), wherein the device for improving laser wavelength conversion efficiency improves wavelength conversion efficiency by shortening the length of the PCF. The device provided in this invention not only reduces the attenuation and dispersion caused by the optical fiber, but also improves the energy conversion efficiency within a specific wavelength range. The use of the technique not only increases the energy of light pulse, but also greatly reduces the amount of fiber used, and can maximize the energy of the desired wavelength according to experimental requirements when using laser input sources of different wavelengths.

A radiation source includes: a hollow core optical fiber, a working medium; and a pulsed pump radiation source. The hollow core optical fiber has a body and has a hollow core. The working medium is disposed within the hollow core. The pulsed pump radiation source is arranged to produce pulsed pump radiation that is received by, and propagates through, the hollow core from an input end to an output end. One or more parameters of the pulsed pump radiation, the optical fiber and the working medium are configured to allow soliton self-compression of the pulsed pump radiation so as to change a spectrum of the pulsed pump radiation so as to form output radiation. In some embodiments, a length of the optical fiber is such that the output end substantially coincides with a position at which a temporal extent of the pulsed pump radiation is minimal.

According to various embodiments, a photonic device and method for generating supercontinuum pulses are provided. The photonic device includes two stages, a nonlinear Bragg grating, and a nonlinear waveguide, which may be formed from CMOS-compatible ultra-rich silicon nitride using a monolithically integrated design.

A tantala ring resonator includes a tantala ring resonator formed by ion-beam sputtering of tantalum pentoxide and exhibiting an optical quality factor in excess of 310.sup.6, and a substrate to which the tantala ring resonator is attached. A method for fabricating nonlinear photonic devices includes depositing tantalum pentoxide with ion-beam sputtering to form a tantala layer onto a substrate, annealing the tantala layer, and etching the tantala layer to form a photonic device.

A radiation source includes: a hollow core optical fiber, a working medium; and a pulsed pump radiation source. The hollow core optical fiber has a body and has a hollow core. The working medium is disposed within the hollow core. The pulsed pump radiation source is arranged to produce pulsed pump radiation that is received by, and propagates through, the hollow core from an input end to an output end. One or more parameters of the pulsed pump radiation, the optical fiber and the working medium are configured to allow soliton self-compression of the pulsed pump radiation so as to change a spectrum of the pulsed pump radiation so as to form output radiation. In some embodiments, a length of the optical fiber is such that the output end substantially coincides with a position at which a temporal extent of the pulsed pump radiation is minimal.

A photonic device includes a substrate and a tantala ring resonator on the substrate. The tantala ring resonator has at least one of (i) a quality factor exceeding three million and (ii) a threshold power less than one hundred milliwatts. A frequency-comb generation method includes sweeping the output frequency of a laser coupled to a tantala ring resonator that has at least one of (i) a quality factor exceeding three million and (ii) a threshold power less than one hundred milliwatts.

An optical parametric oscillator (OPO) system comprises an optical waveguide including a hollow core containing a fluid, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to receive pump light and to convert the pump light into signal light and idler light via a third order non-linear optical effect. The OPO system further comprises an optical feedback arrangement for recycling at least a portion of the signal light and/or for recycling at least a portion of the idler light in an optical cavity that includes the optical waveguide. The OPO system may be used, in particular though not exclusively, in metrology, gas and solid-state spectroscopy, laser-assisted manufacturing, semiconductor technology, biomedicine, healthcare, and scientific laboratory use.

The present invention provides octave-spanning optical frequency combs. The octave-spanning optical frequency combs employ microresonators having improved stability using a smaller form factor. In some embodiments, the octave-spanning optical frequency combs are fabricated using aluminum nitride (AlN). AlN is a more robust Kerr material for generating octave-spanning soliton comb (e.g., 1.5 octaves or more).