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Microcavity-based frequency combs, or ‘microcombs’1,2, have enabled many fundamental breakthroughs3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 through the discovery of temporal cavity-solitons. These self-localized waves, described by the Lugiato–Lefever equation22, are sustained by a background of radiation usually containing 95% of the total power23. Simple methods for their efficient generation and control are currently being investigated to finally establish microcombs as out-of-the-lab tools24. Here, we demonstrate microcomb laser cavity-solitons. Laser cavity-solitons are intrinsically background-free and have underpinned key breakthroughs in semiconductor lasers22,25,26,27,28. By merging their properties with the physics of multimode systems29, we provide a new paradigm for soliton generation and control in microcavities. We demonstrate 50-nm-wide bright soliton combs induced at average powers more than one order of magnitude lower than the Lugiato–Lefever soliton power threshold22, measuring a mode efficiency of 75% versus the theoretical limit of 5% for bright Lugiato–Lefever solitons23. Finally, we can tune the repetition rate by well over a megahertz without any active feedback.

Microcombs are optical frequency combs based on microcavity resonators [1] . They find multiple applications, including metrology, spectroscopy, frequency synthesis, and optical communications. Temporal cavity solitons (TCS), the temporal counterpart of spatial cavity solitons [2] , have been shown to produce microcombs with optimal spectral features [1] and are well modeled by the Lugiato-Lefever equation in passive systems. High contrast TCS can be also obtained in active systems inclusive of laser gain [3] .

Controlling the propagation of waves in random scattering media is a recurring challenge in several physical settings. Multiple scattering has a ubiquitous impact in wave domains like sound and mechanical [1] , and electromagnetic [2] . A fundamental limitation in the study of random wave propagation is the limited experimental access to the time-resolved oscillations of the electric field. At optical frequencies, in particular, the instantaneous electric field of optical wave-packets is, in general, not a directly measurable quantity, although particular settings, e.g., in the domain of optical frequency combs, allows for indirect reconstruction [3] . Conversely, full-wave characterization is quite mature in the state of the art of ultrafast terahertz (THz) photonics. The possibility of field-sensitive detection raises the important question of whether operating on the time-space domain of the electric field could provide insight on random wave propagate on typically not accessible in the optical domain. Indeed, this scenario recalls, in some fashion, the way random wave propagation is handled in the microwave and ultrasound domains, where multiple-path and scattering modelling allows specific deterministic approaches (e.g., time-reversal). A quite apt example is how the scattering matrix of a complex sample can be retrieved at optical frequency through measurements of the transmitted intensity profile [2] . This approach typically leads to a massive loss of information since scattering operates simultaneously in time and space [4] . However, it is conceivable that a more direct approach can be cast in a domain like THz, where the field is measurable in space and time. This ability would not only have a profound impact on THz imaging as a whole [5] , [6] , but it could also define novel approaches to the imaging of objects hidden behind scattering media while preserving their spectral fingerprint.

In photonics, the study of wave propagation in scattering media is limited by the inherent challenges in detecting the time-varying electric field oscillations, as detectors and cameras are only sensitive to the optical intensity. In the Terahertz (THz) domain, however, Time-Domain Spectroscopy (TDS) is an established technique capable of directly measuring the electric field and provide full-wave characterisation (amplitude and optical delay) in time. The combination of THz time-resolved measurements with the theory of wave propagation in scattering media is a rapidly emerging subject. It opens a promising route to gain coherent control over multiple-scattering phenomena in ways not previously accessible in optics [1] . Besides, the combination of broadband excitation and coherent, field-sensitive detection could allow investigating the transmission properties of a scattering medium in unprecedented detail and retrieve its coherent transfer-matrix representation, a task out-of-reach at optical frequencies. In this work, we theoretically demonstrate spatiotemporal refocusing of THz waves following a direct measurement of the transfer matrix of the scattering medium. Our approach combines the advantages offered by field-sensitive detection with the nonlinear wavefront shaping of THz waves. Wavefront shaping represents the state-of-the-art in the control of complex wave propagation at optical frequencies, as it allows to sequentially retrieve the transfer matrix elements of the scatterer [2] . To overcome the limited availability of THz Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) devices, we employ a recently proposed technique based on the nonlinear conversion of structured optical beams to THz patterns [3] . Specifically, we take inspiration from nonlinear Ghost-Imaging techniques and project a complete set of orthogonal Hadamard patterns on the scatterer [4] . This technique allows us to retrieve the complex-valued elements of the transfer matrix by numerical inversion ( Fig. 1a,b ). We apply the direct knowledge of the transfer matrix elements to identify the optimal focusing pattern in a deterministic fashion ( Fig. 1c,d ). Unlike iterative optimisation techniques [2] , our deterministic approach takes advantage of the full amount of spatiotemporal information encoded in the transfer matrix elements. Under this view, the task of identifying the optimal input wavefront is rewritten into an inverse problem that can be solved via constraint least-square optimisation methods. An exemplary result is shown in Fig. 1c,d , where our technique is employed to achieve spatiotemporal refocusing (i.e., focusing in space and compression in time) of a single cycle THz pulse.

Turing patterns and solitons are a common occurrence in systems that are out of equilibrium. For example, they regulate the emergence of organised structures in biology and chemistry. In optics, the study of temporal Turing rolls and cavity-solitons in nonlinear micro-cavity resonators has been key to the understanding of optical frequency comb formation in these structures. Over a decade, the impact of microresonator-based approaches to generating frequency combs – so-called "Micro-combs or "Kerr combs" – has reached far beyond metrology applications. Here we summarise our theoretical and experimental results for solitons and Turing patterns in a system comprising a micro-resonator nested in an auxiliary fibre-gain cavity.

We theoretically present a design of self-starting operation of microcombs based on laser-cavity solitons in a system composed of a micro-resonator nested in and coupled to an amplifying laser cavity. We demonstrate that it is possible to engineer the modulational-instability gain of the system's zero state to allow the start-up with a well-defined number of robust solitons. The approach can be implemented by using the system parameters, such as the cavity length mismatch and the gain shape, to control the number and repetition rate of the generated solitons. Because the setting does not require saturation of the gain, the results offer an alternative to standard techniques that provide laser mode-locking., Comment: To be published in Optics Express

A cartographical study is conducted within the parameter space of a microresonator- filtered fiber laser. We identify a region in which solitons are spontaneously formed and maintained, and we investigate the effects which govern their emergence.

We provide the first demonstration of two-color optical rectification from semiconductors in an extreme absorption regime. The THz generation is free from phase-matching constraints due to the confinement of the interaction within a 25-atomic-layer region.

Microcombs based on Turing patterns have been extensively studied in configurations that can be modelled by the Lugiato-Lefever equation. Typically, such schemes are implemented experimentally by resonant coupling of a continuous wave laser to a Kerr microcavity in order to generate highly coherent and robust waves. Here, we study the formation of such patterns in a system composed of a microresonator nested in an amplifying laser cavity, a scheme recently used to demonstrate laser cavity solitons with high optical efficiency and easy repetition rate control. Utilizing this concept, we study different regimes of Turing patterns, unveiling their formation dynamics and demonstrating their controllability and robustness. By conducting a comprehensive modulational instability study with a mean-field model of the system, we explain the pattern formation in terms of its evolution from background noise, paving the way towards complete self-starting operation. Our theoretical and experimental paper provides a clear pathway for repetition rate control of these waves over both fine (Megahertz) and large (Gigahertz) scales, featuring a fractional frequency nonuniformity better than 7 × 10−14 with a 100-ms time gate and without the need for active stabilization.

We theoretically analyze and experimentally demonstrate optical bi-stability and multi-stability in an integrated nonlinear high-order microring resonator filter based on high-index contrast doped silica glass. We use a nonlinear model accounting for both the Kerr and thermal effects to analyze the instability behavior of the coupled-resonator based filter. The model also accurately predicts the multi-stable behavior of the filter when the input frequency is slightly detuned. To understand the role of the intracavity power distribution, we investigate the detuning of the individual rings of the filter from the optical response with a pump–probe experiment. Such a measurement is performed scanning the filter with a low-power probe beam tuned a few free spectral ranges away from the resonance where the pump is coupled. A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the nonlinear behavior and the intracavity power distribution for the high-order microring resonator filter will help the design and implementation of future all-optical switching systems using this type of filter.

The stability of laser temporal cavity solitons in micro-ring cavities nested in an externally pumped fibre loop with gain is investigated. The crucial roles of group velocity mismatch and gain dispersion are identified.

We demonstrate a Terahertz Ghost-Imaging technique combining nonlinear pattern generation and single-pixel Time-Domain-Spectroscopy (TDS) detection. Our technique allows reconstructing the morphology and spectral features of subwavelength samples.

We report the characterization of a balanced ultrafast photodetector. For this purpose, we use a recently developed time-domain laser-based vector network analyzer (VNA) to determine the common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of the device under test. This includes the frequency-domain response above the single-mode frequency of the coaxial connector. Although the balanced photodetector has a nominal bandwidth of 43 GHz, it generates voltage pulses with frequency components up to 180 GHz. We obtain a CMRR of better than 30 dB up to 70 GHz and better than 20 dB up to 110 GHz. The laser-based measurements are compared with the measurements using a digital sampling oscilloscope and with the frequency-domain measurements using a conventional VNA. We obtain good agreement between the three techniques with the laser-based method providing the largest measurement bandwidth, although it also constitutes the most complicated characterization setup.

Ghost imaging, based on single-pixel detection and multiple pattern illumination, is a crucial investigative tool in difficult-to-access wavelength regions. In the terahertz domain, where high-resolution imagers are mostly unavailable, ghost imaging is an optimal approach to embed the temporal dimension, creating a “hyperspectral” imager. In this framework, high resolution is mostly out of reach. Hence, it is particularly critical to developing practical approaches for microscopy. Here we experimentally demonstrate time-resolved nonlinear ghost imaging, a technique based on near-field, optical-to-terahertz nonlinear conversion and detection of illumination patterns. We show how space–time coupling affects near-field time-domain imaging, and we develop a complete methodology that overcomes fundamental systematic reconstruction issues. Our theoretical-experimental platform enables high-fidelity subwavelength imaging and carries relaxed constraints on the nonlinear generation crystal thickness. Our work establishes a rigorous framework to reconstruct hyperspectral images of complex samples inaccessible through standard fixed-time methods.

One of the major challenges in photonics is the full-wave reconstruction of arbitrary field distributions. Indeed, measuring both the amplitude and the optical delay (or optical phase) entails achieving breakthroughs in a wide range of scenarios, spanning from bio-imaging to material characterisation [1]. Time-Domain Spectroscopy (TDS) is routinely employed to perform field-sensitive measurements at terahertz (THz) frequencies. THz has been widely employed in developing advanced spectroscopy applications, thanks to its non-ionizing nature and to the fact that several materials possess a distinctive THz signature. All these features allow to precisely determine the composition of complex samples with critical implications in several fields, such as in-vivo biological imaging, medical diagnosis, security scanners and manufacturing control [2–3]. Despite the large body of research, however, the limited availability of high-resolution, full-wave imaging devices (i.e. field-sensitive THz cameras) poses a critical technological limit in this promising field.

We demonstrate the first fully solid-state technique for the coherent detection of ultra-broadband THz pulses (0.1-10 THz), relying on the electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation attained in integrated CMOS-compatible devices.

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of highly coherent Type-II micro-combs based on a microresonator nested in a fiber cavity loop, known as the filter-driven four wave mixing (FD-FWM) laser scheme. In this system, the frequency spacing of the comb can be adjusted to integer multiples of the free-spectral range (FSR) of the nested micro-resonator by properly tuning the fiber cavity length. Sub-comb lines with single FSR spacing around the primary comb lines can be generated. Such a spectral emission is known as a “Type-II comb.” Our system achieves a fully coherent output. This behavior is verified by numerical simulations. This study represents an important step forward in controlling and manipulating the dynamics of an FD-FWM laser.

We propose a scheme for bifurcation control in micro-cavities based on the interplay between the ultrafast Kerr effect and a slow nonlinearity, such as thermo-optical, free-carriers-induced, or opto-mechanical one. We demonstrate that Hopf bifurcations can be efficiently controlled with a low energy signal via four-wave mixing. Our results show that new strategies are possible for designing efficient micro-cavity-based oscillators and sensors. Moreover, they provide new understanding of the effect of coherent wave mixing in the thermal stability regions of optical micro-cavities, fundamental for micro-resonator-based applications in communications, sensing, and metrology, including optical micro-combs.

We demonstrate a robust control over the repetition rate of a micro-comb laser by using the Filter-Driven Four Wave Mixing scheme. Results show that the coherence can be kept during the whole process.

We numerically and experimentally demonstrate the generation of Type II micro-combs in a Filter-Driven four wave mixing laser, showing that the generated Type II micro-combs are fully coherent.

Passive fiber mode-locked lasers enable the excitation of multiple pulses per round trip representing a potential solutions for the increasing demand of practical optical sources with repetition rates of hundreds of GHz or higher. The control of such high repetition rate regimes is however a challenge. To this purpose, linear filters have been used in an "intracavity" configuration to force the repetition rate of the laser. This design is known as dissipative four wave mixing (DFWM) but it is usually unstable and hence marginally suitable for practical applications. We explore the use of nonlinear intracavity filters, such as integrated micro-ring resonators, capable of “driving” the FWM interaction in the laser. We term this approach as Filter-Driven FWM. With a proper choice of the filter properties in terms of free spectral range (FSR) and Q factor, we could observe stable regimes over a wide range of operating conditions, from high repetition rate oscillation at a 200GHz to the formation of two stable spectral comb replicas separated by the FSR of the main cavity (65MHz). High order filters, moreover, allow achieving nonlinear operation over large passbands. With an 11th order filter we achieve low-frequency mode-locking between the main cavity modes that oscillate within each resonance of the filter, producing burst pulsed operation. A stable mode-locked pulse train at 655GHz with an envelope of 42ps at 6.45MHz is achieved.

This review summarizes the results obtained in 2011 toward the development of an "integrated optical oscilloscope," encompassing research on new technologies for the measurement of ultrafast optical pulses in both amplitude and phase through the use of integrated devices, some of which are compatible with electronic circuit technology (CMOS).

We demonstrate temporal measurements of sub-picosecond optical pulses via time-to-frequency conversion in a 45-cm-long CMOS compatible high-index glass spiral waveguide. The measurements are based on efficient four-wave mixing in the C-band, using around 1 W of peak pump power. We achieve a resolution of 400 fs over a time window of 100 ps, representing a time-bandwidth product >; 250.

We report on light-induced optical tuning of colloidal photonic crystals doped with gold nanoparticles (Au-nps). By resonantly exciting the Au-np surface plasmon absorption with picosecond pulses at 0.53 micron in a standard pump-probe setup, we observed permanent changes in the stop band resonance around 1.7 micron, with blue wavelength shifts as large as 30 nm and associated to a nanoparticle reshaping. Fine tuning was achieved by controlling either the pulse energy or the irradiation time.

We demonstrate two-dimensional spatial solitons excited by near-infrared picosecond pulses in Kerr-like heavy metal oxide glasses with a nonlinearity one order of magnitude larger than in fused silica. Solitons were obtained at 820 nm owing to the presence of multiphoton absorption, which prevented catastrophic collapse. © 2007 Optical Society of America., This work was funded by an “Integrated Action” between Italy and Spain (IT1890/HI2006-0095) and by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MAT2005-06508-C02-01 and TEC2005-00074/MIC).

We summarize here our recent results on high-repetition-rate laser mode-locking via microring resonators. The recent realization of multiple wavelength oscillators based on high Q-factor resonators has profoundly impacted optical frequency combs for metrology and precision measurements and other areas. The ability to mode-lock these devices is important for achieving high-precision optical clocks in a monolithic format, offering enormous benefits in performance, cost, size, and power consumption for optical waveform synthesis, high-capacity telecommunications, optical analog-to-digital conversion, and many other applications. Here, we demonstrated a mode-locked laser based on a monolithic high Q resonator. This device produces stable, self-starting transform-limited optical pulses at 200.3 GHz, with a sub-100 kHz linewidth and extremely narrow amplitude noise bandwidth of

In this talk, the physics of microring resonators is discussed in the classical and quantum regimes, in the context of the exploitation of chi-3 effects in these cavities as done by our group. Through the implementation of a novel microring pumping scheme and a quantum reinterpretation of the frequency comb, we present an integrated platform for the generation of quantum optical states spread over multiple optical modes. The scheme allows for highly stable and potentially fullyintegrable quantum light sources. Following the demonstration of a multiplexed heralded photon source, the scheme also enabled the first demonstration of a new nonlinear process on the integrated platform (type II spontaneous four-wave mixing) allowing the first direct generation of polarization-diverse photon pairs, where the first time two ring modes can be pumped in a stable configuration.

The spatial features of a sub-wavelength terahertz source are not accessible using time-integrated knife-edge techniques due to the non-separable space-time nature of the radiated field and to systematic modifications induced by the blade itself. We show that combining knife-edge with a time resolved electro-optical sampling, the space-time coupling can be addressed and the source field profile can be exactly reconstructed.

Four-wave mixing in a thermal tunable 5th order cascaded CMOS compatible ring resonators is experimentally and numerically investigated. Flat bandwidth conversion of 3.1GHz is obtained for a range of parameter.

We demonstrate a novel bi-chromatically pumped OPO operating on orthogonal polarizations in a CMOS compatible micro-ring resonator. Below threshold the device operates in the quantum regime and cross-polarized heralded photons are directly generated.

We demonstrated a 1.81 μm mode-locked figure-eight laser using an integrated 11-th order microring resonator. Mode-locked train centered at 1.81 μm with repetition rate of 9.09 MHz is achieved.

We carried out second-harmonic generation in quasi-phase-matched ? -phase lithium niobate channel waveguides realized by proton exchange and surface periodic poling. Owing to a limited ferroelectric domain depth, we could observe the interplay between second-harmonic generation and self-phase modulation due to cascading and cubic effects, resulting in a nonlinear resonance shift. Data reduction allowed us to evaluate both the quadratic nonlinearity in the near infrared as well as the depth of the uninverted domains. © 2007 Optical

We implement a simple and powerful approach to characterize the domain distribution in the bulk of quadratic ferroelectric crystals via far-field second-harmonic spectroscopy. The approach is demonstrated in a lithium tantalate sample with periodic electric field poling and random mark-to-space ratio.

We introduce and test a simple approach for the characterization of domain distribution in bulk quadratic ferroelectric crystals, specifically periodically poled Lithium Tantalate with random mark-to space ratio.

We investigate the interaction of two coherent 2D+1 solitary beams in a high index glass.

We introduce and test a simple approach for the characterization of domain distribution in bulk quadratic ferroelectric crystals, such as periodically poled Lithium Tantalate with random mark-to space ratio.

We demonstrated broadband second-harmonic generation via random Quasi-Phase-Matching in periodically poled Lithium Tantalate.

We report an integrated, CMOS-compatible source of multiplexed heralded photons, distributed over several wavelengths at standard communication channels and compatible with quantum memories. Our system operates in a self-locked mode without an external pump laser.

By suppressing stimulated processes, we directly generate orthogonally polarized photon pairs on a chip via spontaneous non-degenerate FWM between orthogonally polarized pumps. Photon coincidences and optical parametric oscillation are measured.

We demonstrated coherent Terahertz characterization based on Terahertz Field Induced Second Harmonic effect in a Silica samples, operated with 10-100 V sources. Our sample is an infinitely long 30 μm slit written in gold. Our results pave the way to a novel approach towards broadband THz detection.

Exploiting four-wave mixing between an optical probe and a Terahertz field in a few micrometers thick Silica sample we demonstrate broadband coherent Terahertz detection by applying a bias as low as 100 V.

We demonstrate spatial solitons via twin-beam second-harmonic generation in hexagonal lattices realized by poling lithium niobate planar waveguides. These simultons can be steered by acting on power, direction, and wavelength of the fundamental frequency input.

We demonstrate ultraviolet generation in lithium tantalate channel waveguides for frequency doubling via quasi-phase-matching. The samples, proton exchanged and nanostructured by electric-field assisted surface periodic poling with domains as deep as 40 μm, yield continuous wave light at 365.4 nm with conversion efficiencies larger than 7.5% W-1 cm-2.

Spatial solitary waves induced by quadratic nonlinearities have been the subject of many theoretical and experimental investigations in the last decade, with extensive studies being devoted to soliton formation in 1D nonlinear photonic crystals (NPC) such as PPLN (periodically poled LiNbO3). Here we present results on a new class of (1 + 1)D spatial solitary waves, the first examples of quadratic self-confinement in a 2D NPC.

We report on the first observation of spatial solitons in a 2D nonlinear photonic crystal. The experiments were performed in an hexagonally poled LiNbO3 waveguide designed for second harmonic generation from ~1.55 micron.

In this Communication, a stable self-confined propagation with ps near-infrared (NIR) pulses and over several Rayleigh lengths is demonstrated for the first time . Multiphoton absorption is shown to saturate the self-focusing response in a novel glass of the ternary system Nb2O5-O2-PbO (NPG) exhibiting a high refractive index (2-2.1) in the NIR and an energy gap of 3.52 eV. NPG belongs to the family of heavy metal oxides, widely studied for its fast and high nonlinearity in the infrared.

We report on recent results by surface periodic poling on lithium niobate and lithium tantalate. Such approach allows periodic inversion of the second order susceptibility with nanoscale features using insulating masks. We achieved a world-best 200 nm feature size, as well as good compatibility with alpha-phase proton exchanged channel waveguides in lithium niobate. Preliminary results of surface periodic poling in lithium tantalate also show similar characteristics. Surface poling is best suited for integrated optics devices in technologically-demanding configurations such as backward second harmonic generation and counter propagating optical parametric amplification

We demonstrate novel microcavity lasers in an integrated, CMOS compatible platform. This platform has promise for telecommunications and on-chip WDM optical interconnects.