Active capture and stabilization of temporal solitons in microresonators

Soliton mode locking and femtosecond pulse generation have recently been demonstrated in high-Q optical microcavities and provide a new way to miniaturize frequency comb systems, as well as create integrated comb systems on a chip. However, triggering the mode-locking process is complicated by a wel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics letters 2016-05, Vol.41 (9), p.2037-2040
Main Authors: Yi, Xu, Yang, Qi-Fan, Youl Yang, Ki, Vahala, Kerry
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chips
Holes
Microcavities
Mode locking
Pumping
Resonant frequencies
Solitons
Stabilization
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Summary:Soliton mode locking and femtosecond pulse generation have recently been demonstrated in high-Q optical microcavities and provide a new way to miniaturize frequency comb systems, as well as create integrated comb systems on a chip. However, triggering the mode-locking process is complicated by a well-known thermal hysteresis that can destabilize the solitons. Moreover, on a longer time scale, thermal drifting of the cavity resonant frequency relative to the pumping frequency causes loss of mode locking. In this Letter, an active feedback method is used both to capture specific soliton states and to stabilize the states indefinitely. The capture and stabilization method provides a reliable way to overcome thermal effects during soliton formation and to excite a desired number of circulating cavity solitons. It is also used to demonstrate a low pumping power of 22 mW for generation of microwave-repetition-rate solitons on a chip.
ISSN:0146-9592
1539-4794
DOI:10.1364/ol.41.002037