Compact visible frequency combs

Lead Research Organisation: University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Engineering

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
 
Description Informed by the requirements of future precision atomic clocks, this project targets the development of an "optical frequency comb" -- a laser providing a thousands of regularly spaced optical frequencies which form a ruler in frequency that is a critical component in quantum timekeeping devices. The main findings so far can be summarised as:
(1) Development of a multi-GHz miniature fs lasers based on Yb-doped glass and ceramic gain media and directly diode-pumpable.
(2) Super-continuum generation from integrated AlGaAs and Si-rich Si3N4 waveguides, incorporating coupling tapers and microring resonators
Exploitation Route Using the waveguides developed in this project it will be possible to achieve a supercontinuum that will span an octave allowing for the generation of an optical frequency comb. Using this comb we can transfer the high timing stability offered by the optical frequencies to the RF/microwave domain, which is a key component for developing a chip scale optical frequency atomic clock. This clock would have a huge impact on many different industrial sectors, such as Defence, Finance, Telecommunications and Geodesy.
Sectors Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)
 
Title Data for: "Second-harmonic generation in AlGaAs-oninsulator waveguides" 
Description Data sets corresponding to figures in article contribution for Optics Letters paper titled above. Files details available in the readme file 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact . 
URL http://dx.doi.org/10.5525/gla.researchdata.734.
 
Title Second Harmonic Generation in AlGaAs-On-Insulator Waveguides 
Description  
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
 
Title Supercontinuum generation in dispersion engineered AlGaAs-on-insulator waveguides 
Description  
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL http://researchdata.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1105
 
Description Fraunhofer CAP 
Organisation Fraunhofer Society
Department Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics (CAP)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Development of several membrane devices (i.e. silicon, AlGaAs, InP) to be integrated onto host substrates
Collaborator Contribution The partners contributed to the translation of transfer printing technique into a robust computer-interfaced tool
Impact Too early to say
Start Year 2016