An optical frequency comb device includes: an optical waveguide; a first mirror disposed at a first position in the optical waveguide; a second mirror disposed at a second position different from the first position, in the optical waveguide; a gain medium and a saturable absorber which are disposed between the first mirror and the second mirror; and a controller that fixes one of a repetition frequency and a carrier-envelope offset frequency of an optical frequency comb output from an end of the optical waveguide, and changes the other of the repetition frequency and the carrier-envelope offset frequency.

The present disclosure provides an electronic module includes a light source configured to radiate a first light beam having a first wavelength and a converting device configured to receive the first light beam and to convert the first light beam to a second light beam having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. The electronic module also includes a connection element configured to transmit the first light beam from the light source to the converting device and adapted to a predetermined geometric relationship between the light source and the converting device to meet a condition of total internal reflection.

An optical resonator frequency comb comprising a main optical resonator being made of a resonator material, which has a third order nonlinearity and an anomalous resonator dispersion; a continuous wave (cw) laser configured for supplying continuous laser light into an optical waveguide, which is coupled with the main optical resonator. The cw laser, the optical waveguide and the main optical resonator are arranged for resonantly coupling the cw laser light into the main optical resonator for forming a single dissipative soliton circulating in the main optical resonator corresponding to the generation of a frequency comb. Furthermore, the optical resonator frequency comb further comprises an auxiliary optical element configured to induce a phase shift to a frequency comb component at the cw laser frequency to enhance the conversion efficiency of a generated frequency comb. The disclosure also relates to an associated method.

Disclosed herein is the detection of dangerous dielectric materials (explosives) and dangerous non-explosive and/or prohibited items. The detection is based on a broad bandwidth nonlinear radar system, driven by a highly stable optical frequency comb. The disclosed approach allows for the spatial resolution of the interrogated object in complex settings. Detection of dangerous materials and non-explosive chemical prohibited items is disclosed. The chemicals can be identified under clothing, within boxes, or other dielectric enclosures

A light pulse source and method for generating repetitive optical pulses are described. The light pulse source includes a continuous wave cw laser device, an optical waveguide optically coupled with the laser device, an optical microresonator, and a tuning device. The optical microresonator coupling cw laser light via the waveguide into the microresonator, which, may include, a light field in a soliton state with soliton shaped pulses coupled out of the microresonator for providing the repetitive optical pulses. The laser device includes a chip based semiconductor laser, the microresonator and/or the waveguide may reflect an optical feedback portion of light back to the semiconductor laser, which may provide self-injection locking relative to a resonance frequency of the microresonator. The tuning device is arranged for tuning at least one of a driving current and a temperature of the semiconductor laser such that the microresonator may provide the soliton state.

A light pulse source and method for generating repetitive optical pulses are described. The pulse source includes a continuous wave (cw) laser device, an optical waveguide optically coupled with the laser device, an optical microresonator, and a tuning device. The optical microresonator coupling cw laser light via the waveguide into the microresonator, which may include a light field in a soliton state with soliton shaped pulses coupled out of the microresonator for providing the repetitive optical pulses. The laser device includes a chip based semiconductor laser, the microresonator and/or the waveguide may reflect an optical feedback portion of light back to the semiconductor laser, which may provide self-injection locking relative to a resonance frequency of the microresonator. The tuning device is arranged for tuning at least one of a driving current and a temperature of the semiconductor laser such that the microresonator may provide the soliton state.

A Mach Zehnder modulator operates by phase modulating split optical beams with a modulating signal to create dissimilarities in the optical characteristics between the split beams. When the beams are recombined, the dissimilarities gives rise to intensity modulations that are indicative of the modulating signal. One or both beams are modulated with an RF trimming signal. The trimming signal is applied asymmetrically across the two beams thereby reducing the intensity of the optical carrier frequency in one of the beams more than in the other. By selecting the size of the trimming signal the differences in the optical amplitude of the carrier frequency in the two beams can be nulled.

A method and apparatus for increasing the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of phononic comb teeth generated by a non-linear resonator. The method comprises generating a drive signal; applying the drive signal to the non-linear resonator with sufficient gain to generate the phononic comb teeth; and filtering the drive signal before applying it to the non-linear resonator to thereby increase the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of phononic comb teeth generated by the non-linear resonator. The apparatus may comprise a circuit including a filter disposed between an oscillator generating the drive signal and the non-linear resonator, the filter preferably having a 3 db passband width which is less than a spacing of the phononic comb teeth generated by the non-linear resonator.

Systems and methods for a tunable radio frequency synthesizer utilizing optical frequency combs are provided. In one embodiment, an RF signal generator comprises: an SBS pump laser segment including a first and second SBS pump laser each generating SBS laser light at different respective frequencies; a TE/TM dual comb resonator comprising a comb optical resonator coupled to the first and second SBS pump lasers, wherein the comb optical resonator generates a pair of counter-propagating optical frequency combs of different polarities from the SBS laser light; a filter resonator segment configured to provide feedback to the TE/TM dual comb resonator to lock a relative position of the pair of counter-propagating optical frequency combs, the filter resonator comprising a tunable optical filter to output a discrete tuned RF signal output based on a comb line pair that includes a single comb line from each of the pair of counter-propagating optical frequency combs.

An electronic light synthesizer electronically synthesizes supercontinuum light, the electronic light synthesizer and includes: a microwave modulator that: receives a continuous wave light including an optical frequency; modulates the continuous wave light at a microwave repetition frequency; and produces a frequency comb including the optical frequency and modulated at the microwave repetition frequency; a self-phase modulator in optical communication with the microwave modulator and that: receives the frequency comb from the microwave modulator; spectrally broadens an optical wavelength range of the frequency comb; and produces broadened light including the optical frequency and modulated at the microwave repetition frequency; an optical filter in optical communication with the self-phase modulator and that: receives the broadened light from the self-phase modulator; and optically filters electronic noise in the broadened light; and a supercontinuum generator in optical communication with the optical filter and that: receives the broadened light from the optical filter; spectrally broadens the optical wavelength range of the broadened light; and produces supercontinuum light including the optical frequency and modulated at the microwave repetition frequency.