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Optics Express

Optics Express

  • Editor: C. Martijn de Sterke
  • Vol. 17, Iss. 16 — Aug. 3, 2009
  • pp: 14115–14120

Optics InfoBase > Optics Express > Volume 17 > Issue 16 > Page 14115

A phase-stabilized carbon nanotube fiber laser frequency comb

Jinkang Lim, Kevin Knabe, Karl A. Tillman, William Neely, Yishan Wang, Rodrigo Amezcua-Correa, François Couny, Philip S. Light, Fetah Benabid, Jonathan C. Knight, Kristan L. Corwin, Jeffrey W. Nicholson, and Brian R. Washburn  »View Author Affiliations


Optics Express, Vol. 17, Issue 16, pp. 14115-14120 (2009)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.17.014115


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Abstract

A frequency comb generated by a 167 MHz repetition frequency erbium-doped fiber ring laser using a carbon nanotube saturable absorber is phase-stabilized for the first time. Measurements of the in-loop phase noise show an integrated phase error on the carrier envelope offset frequency of 0.35 radians. The carbon nanotube fiber laser comb is compared with a CW laser near 1533 nm stabilized to the ν1 + ν3 overtone transition in an acetylene-filled kagome photonic crystal fiber reference, while the CW laser is simultaneously compared to another frequency comb based on a Cr:Forsterite laser. These measurements demonstrate that the stability of a GPS-disciplined Rb clock is transferred to the comb, resulting in an upper limit on the locked comb’s frequency instability of 1.2 × 10-11 in 1 s, and a relative instability of <3 × 10-12 in 1 s. The carbon nanotube laser frequency comb offers much promise as a robust and inexpensive all-fiber frequency comb with potential for scaling to higher repetition frequencies.

© 2009 OSA

OCIS Codes
(120.3930) Instrumentation, measurement, and metrology : Metrological instrumentation
(320.7090) Ultrafast optics : Ultrafast lasers
(060.5295) Fiber optics and optical communications : Photonic crystal fibers

ToC Category:
Instrumentation, Measurement, and Metrology

History
Original Manuscript: June 19, 2009
Revised Manuscript: July 24, 2009
Manuscript Accepted: July 26, 2009
Published: August 3, 2009

Citation
Jinkang Lim, Kevin Knabe, Karl A. Tillman, William Neely, Yishan Wang, Rodrigo Amezcua-Correa, François Couny, Philip S. Light, Fetah Benabid, Jonathan C. Knight, Kristan L. Corwin, Jeffrey W. Nicholson, and Brian R. Washburn, "A phase-stabilized carbon nanotube fiber laser frequency comb," Opt. Express 17, 14115-14120 (2009)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-17-16-14115


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