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A broadband chip-scale optical frequency synthesizer at 2.7 × 10−16 relative uncertainty
- Source :
- Science Advances
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Frequency stabilization to 0.3 parts per quadrillion is demonstrated on chip, opening new frontiers in precision metrology.<br />Optical frequency combs—coherent light sources that connect optical frequencies with microwave oscillations—have become the enabling tool for precision spectroscopy, optical clockwork, and attosecond physics over the past decades. Current benchmark systems are self-referenced femtosecond mode-locked lasers, but Kerr nonlinear dynamics in high-Q solid-state microresonators has recently demonstrated promising features as alternative platforms. The advance not only fosters studies of chip-scale frequency metrology but also extends the realm of optical frequency combs. We report the full stabilization of chip-scale optical frequency combs. The microcomb’s two degrees of freedom, one of the comb lines and the native 18-GHz comb spacing, are simultaneously phase-locked to known optical and microwave references. Active comb spacing stabilization improves long-term stability by six orders of magnitude, reaching a record instrument-limited residual instability of 3.6mHz/τ. Comparing 46 nitride frequency comb lines with a fiber laser frequency comb, we demonstrate the unprecedented microcomb tooth-to-tooth relative frequency uncertainty down to 50 mHz and 2.7 × 10−16, heralding novel solid-state applications in precision spectroscopy, coherent communications, and astronomical spectrography.
- Subjects :
- Optical fiber
chip-scale
Attosecond
Astronomy
Physics::Optics
01 natural sciences
law.invention
010309 optics
Frequency comb
Optics
law
Optical frequency comb
0103 physical sciences
Broadband
Fiber Optic Technology
Physics::Atomic Physics
010306 general physics
Research Articles
Physics
Multidisciplinary
business.industry
Spectrum Analysis
SciAdv r-articles
Equipment Design
Laser
Metrology
Femtosecond
Telecommunications
astronomical spectrography
business
Microwave
precision spectroscopy
coherent communications
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 23752548
- Volume :
- 2
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Science Advances
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c6e2c19270b6d3272efb5a963ea4770d