Broadband optical frequency comb generation with a phase-modulated parametric oscillator

Opt Lett. 1999 Dec 1;24(23):1747-9. doi: 10.1364/ol.24.001747.

Abstract

We introduce a novel broadband optical frequency comb generator consisting of a parametric oscillator with an intracavity electro-optic phase modulator. The parametric oscillator is pumped by 532-nm light and produces near-degenerate signal and idler fields. The modulator generates a comb structure about both the signal and the idler. Coupling between the two families of modes results in a dispersion-limited comb that spans 20 nm (5.3 THz). A signal-to-noise ratio of >30 dB in a 300-kHz bandwidth is observed in the beat frequency between individual comb elements and a reference laser.