We present an optical frequency comb generator (OFCG) based on a fiber ring laser that provides a bandwidth of over 1.8 THz with mode-locked pulse operation by external injection seeding. The OFCG was developed via a configuration with actively mode-locked fiber ring laser utilizing an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) with a carrier frequency of 150 MHz when an external seeding laser was injected into the fiber ring cavity. To our knowledge, our experimental device has the widest comb bandwidth ever reported for an OFCG based on a fiber ring loop adopting an AOM device, and ours is the first device that can operate with an actively mode-locked scheme.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

1. M. E. Fermann, A. Galvanauskas, G. Sucha, and D. Harter, "Fiber lasers for ultrafast optics," Appl. Phys. B. 65, 259-275 (1997). [CrossRef]
2. L. E. Nelson, D. J. Jones, K. Tamura, H. A. Haus, and E. P. Ippen, "Ultrashort pulse fiber ring lasers," Appl. Phys. B. 65, 277-294 (1997). [CrossRef]
3. J. Rauschenberger, T. M. Fortier, D. J. Jone, J. Ye, and S. T. Cundiff, "Control of the frequency comb from a mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser," Opt. Express 10, 1404-1410 (2002). [PubMed]
4. S. Bennett, B. Cai, E. Burr, O. Gough, and A. J. Seeds, "1.8-THz bandwidth, zero frequency error, tunable optical comb generator for DWDM applications," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 11, 551-553 (1999). [CrossRef]
5. S. Fukushima, C. F. C. Silva, Y. Muramoto, and A. J. Seeds, "Optoelectronic millimeter wave synthesis using an optical frequency comb generator, optically injection locked lasers, and a unitraveling carrier photodiode," J. Lightwave Technol.  21, 3043-3051 (2003). [CrossRef]
6. T. G. Hodgkinson and P. Coppin, "Pulsed operation of an optical feedback frequency synthetiser," Electron. Lett. 26, 1155-1157 (1990). [CrossRef]
7. P. Coppin and T. G. Hodgkinson, "Novel optical frequency comb synthesis using optical feedback," Electron. Lett. 26, 28-30 (1990). [CrossRef]
8. P. D. Dragic, "Injection-seeded Q-switched fiber ring laser," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 16, 1822-1824 (2004). [CrossRef]
9. H. Takesue, F. Yamamoto, and T. Horiguchi, "Stable lightwave frequency synthesis over 1-THz span using Fabry-Perot cavity containing polarization rotation elements and actively controlled tunable bandpass filter," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 12, 79-81 (2000). [CrossRef]
10. K. Shimizu, T. Horiguchi, and Y. Koyamada, "Technique for translating light wave frequency by using an optical ring circuit containing a frequency shifter," Opt. Lett. 17,1307-1309 (1992). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. M. Kourogi, K. Nakagawa, and M. Ohtsu, "Wide span optical frequency comb generator for accurate optical frequency difference measurement," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 29, 2693-2701 (1993). [CrossRef]
12. F. V. Kowalski, S. J. Shattil, and P. D. Hale, "Optical pulse generation with a frequency shifted feedback laser," Appl. Phys. Lett. 53, 734-736 (1988). [CrossRef]
13. H. Sabert and E. Brinkmeyer, "Pulse generation in fiber lasers with frequency shifted feedback," J. Lightwave. Technol. 12, 1360-1368 (1994). [CrossRef]
14. S. M. J. Kelly, "Characteristic sideband instability of periodically amplified average soliton," Electron. Lett. 28, 806-807 (1992). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. B.

• M. E. Fermann, A. Galvanauskas, G. Sucha, and D. Harter, "Fiber lasers for ultrafast optics," Appl. Phys. B. 65, 259-275 (1997). [CrossRef]
• L. E. Nelson, D. J. Jones, K. Tamura, H. A. Haus, and E. P. Ippen, "Ultrashort pulse fiber ring lasers," Appl. Phys. B. 65, 277-294 (1997). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• F. V. Kowalski, S. J. Shattil, and P. D. Hale, "Optical pulse generation with a frequency shifted feedback laser," Appl. Phys. Lett. 53, 734-736 (1988). [CrossRef]

Electron. Lett.

• S. M. J. Kelly, "Characteristic sideband instability of periodically amplified average soliton," Electron. Lett. 28, 806-807 (1992). [CrossRef]
• T. G. Hodgkinson and P. Coppin, "Pulsed operation of an optical feedback frequency synthetiser," Electron. Lett. 26, 1155-1157 (1990). [CrossRef]
• P. Coppin and T. G. Hodgkinson, "Novel optical frequency comb synthesis using optical feedback," Electron. Lett. 26, 28-30 (1990). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

• M. Kourogi, K. Nakagawa, and M. Ohtsu, "Wide span optical frequency comb generator for accurate optical frequency difference measurement," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 29, 2693-2701 (1993). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• P. D. Dragic, "Injection-seeded Q-switched fiber ring laser," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 16, 1822-1824 (2004). [CrossRef]
• H. Takesue, F. Yamamoto, and T. Horiguchi, "Stable lightwave frequency synthesis over 1-THz span using Fabry-Perot cavity containing polarization rotation elements and actively controlled tunable bandpass filter," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 12, 79-81 (2000). [CrossRef]
• S. Bennett, B. Cai, E. Burr, O. Gough, and A. J. Seeds, "1.8-THz bandwidth, zero frequency error, tunable optical comb generator for DWDM applications," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 11, 551-553 (1999). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• S. Fukushima, C. F. C. Silva, Y. Muramoto, and A. J. Seeds, "Optoelectronic millimeter wave synthesis using an optical frequency comb generator, optically injection locked lasers, and a unitraveling carrier photodiode," J. Lightwave Technol.  21, 3043-3051 (2003). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave. Technol.

• H. Sabert and E. Brinkmeyer, "Pulse generation in fiber lasers with frequency shifted feedback," J. Lightwave. Technol. 12, 1360-1368 (1994). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• J. Rauschenberger, T. M. Fortier, D. J. Jone, J. Ye, and S. T. Cundiff, "Control of the frequency comb from a mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser," Opt. Express 10, 1404-1410 (2002). [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• K. Shimizu, T. Horiguchi, and Y. Koyamada, "Technique for translating light wave frequency by using an optical ring circuit containing a frequency shifter," Opt. Lett. 17,1307-1309 (1992). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

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