Frequency uncertainty for optically referenced femtosecond laser frequency combs

Long Sheng Ma; Zhiyi Bi; Albrecht Bartels; Kyoungsik Kim; Lennart Robertsson; Massimo Zucco; Robert S. Windeler; Guido Wilpers; Chris Oates; Leo Hollberg; Scott A. Diddams

doi:10.1109/JQE.2006.886836

Frequency uncertainty for optically referenced femtosecond laser frequency combs

Long Sheng Ma, Zhiyi Bi, Albrecht Bartels, Kyoungsik Kim, Lennart Robertsson, Massimo Zucco, Robert S. Windeler, Guido Wilpers, Chris Oates, Leo Hollberg, Scott A. Diddams

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

50 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present measurements and analysis of the currently known relative frequency uncertainty of femtosecond laser frequency combs (FLFCs) based on Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire lasers. Broadband frequency combs generated directly from the laser oscillator, as well as octave-spanning combs generated with nonlinear optical fiber are compared. The relative frequency uncertainty introduced by an optically referenced FLFC is measured for both its optical and microwave outputs. We find that the relative frequency uncertainty of the optical and microwave outputs of the FLFC can be as low as 8 × 10^-20 and 1.7 × 10^-18, with a confidence level of 95%, respectively. Photo-detection of the optical pulse train introduces a small amount of excess noise, which degrades the stability and subsequent relative frequency uncertainty limit of the microwave output to 2.6 × 10^-17.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	139-146
Number of pages	8
Journal	IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics
Volume	43
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/JQE.2006.886836
Publication status	Published - 2007 Feb

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Manuscript received June 14, 2006; revised September 12, 2006. The work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was supported in part by NIST and NASA. The project at ECNU was funded in part by the NSF of China under 60490280, STCSM under 04JC14086, 04DZ14009, and 06JC14026, Shanghai, and in part by MOST of China under 2006B806005.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1109/JQE.2006.886836

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title = "Frequency uncertainty for optically referenced femtosecond laser frequency combs",

abstract = "We present measurements and analysis of the currently known relative frequency uncertainty of femtosecond laser frequency combs (FLFCs) based on Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire lasers. Broadband frequency combs generated directly from the laser oscillator, as well as octave-spanning combs generated with nonlinear optical fiber are compared. The relative frequency uncertainty introduced by an optically referenced FLFC is measured for both its optical and microwave outputs. We find that the relative frequency uncertainty of the optical and microwave outputs of the FLFC can be as low as 8 × 10-20 and 1.7 × 10-18, with a confidence level of 95%, respectively. Photo-detection of the optical pulse train introduces a small amount of excess noise, which degrades the stability and subsequent relative frequency uncertainty limit of the microwave output to 2.6 × 10-17.",

author = "Ma, {Long Sheng} and Zhiyi Bi and Albrecht Bartels and Kyoungsik Kim and Lennart Robertsson and Massimo Zucco and Windeler, {Robert S.} and Guido Wilpers and Chris Oates and Leo Hollberg and Diddams, {Scott A.}",

note = "Funding Information: Manuscript received June 14, 2006; revised September 12, 2006. The work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was supported in part by NIST and NASA. The project at ECNU was funded in part by the NSF of China under 60490280, STCSM under 04JC14086, 04DZ14009, and 06JC14026, Shanghai, and in part by MOST of China under 2006B806005.",

year = "2007",

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doi = "10.1109/JQE.2006.886836",

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AU - Ma, Long Sheng

AU - Bi, Zhiyi

AU - Bartels, Albrecht

AU - Kim, Kyoungsik

AU - Robertsson, Lennart

AU - Zucco, Massimo

AU - Windeler, Robert S.

AU - Wilpers, Guido

AU - Oates, Chris

AU - Hollberg, Leo

AU - Diddams, Scott A.

N1 - Funding Information: Manuscript received June 14, 2006; revised September 12, 2006. The work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was supported in part by NIST and NASA. The project at ECNU was funded in part by the NSF of China under 60490280, STCSM under 04JC14086, 04DZ14009, and 06JC14026, Shanghai, and in part by MOST of China under 2006B806005.

PY - 2007/2

Y1 - 2007/2

N2 - We present measurements and analysis of the currently known relative frequency uncertainty of femtosecond laser frequency combs (FLFCs) based on Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire lasers. Broadband frequency combs generated directly from the laser oscillator, as well as octave-spanning combs generated with nonlinear optical fiber are compared. The relative frequency uncertainty introduced by an optically referenced FLFC is measured for both its optical and microwave outputs. We find that the relative frequency uncertainty of the optical and microwave outputs of the FLFC can be as low as 8 × 10-20 and 1.7 × 10-18, with a confidence level of 95%, respectively. Photo-detection of the optical pulse train introduces a small amount of excess noise, which degrades the stability and subsequent relative frequency uncertainty limit of the microwave output to 2.6 × 10-17.

AB - We present measurements and analysis of the currently known relative frequency uncertainty of femtosecond laser frequency combs (FLFCs) based on Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire lasers. Broadband frequency combs generated directly from the laser oscillator, as well as octave-spanning combs generated with nonlinear optical fiber are compared. The relative frequency uncertainty introduced by an optically referenced FLFC is measured for both its optical and microwave outputs. We find that the relative frequency uncertainty of the optical and microwave outputs of the FLFC can be as low as 8 × 10-20 and 1.7 × 10-18, with a confidence level of 95%, respectively. Photo-detection of the optical pulse train introduces a small amount of excess noise, which degrades the stability and subsequent relative frequency uncertainty limit of the microwave output to 2.6 × 10-17.

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Frequency uncertainty for optically referenced femtosecond laser frequency combs

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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