Development of a portable microcomb generation system and investigation of environmental temperature effects on microcomb noise

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K20441
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0302:Electrical and electronic engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Principal Investigator: Tetsumoto Tomohiro 国立研究開発法人情報通信研究機構, テラヘルツ研究センター, 主任研究員 (50894870)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: マイクロ光コム / 光周波数コム / 非線形光学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this project, we developed portable generation systems for microcombs, which are integrated optical frequency combs, and investigated the mechanism of phase noise reduction due to changes in the operating environment temperature. By miniaturizing the components, the portable generation system was implemented to a size that could be mounted on a 30 cm × 45 cm breadboard. Additionally, we conducted direct current modulation of a DFB laser to simplify the generation method of soliton microcombs, successfully generating a soliton microcomb. Regarding the investigation of the phase noise reduction mechanism, the construction and demonstration of the measurement system have been completed. However, the originally planned experiments are still in progress. Nevertheless, the measurement methods we developed have been applied in an advanced form, contributing to the demonstration of multiple experiments.

Free Research Field

集積フォトニクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マイクロ光コムは、光通信等での多波長光源としての応用だけでなく、光周波数コムの性質を活かした超高精度測定や超低雑音信号発生を民生応用に広く活用可能にする技術として期待されている。一方で、マイクロ光コムの発生に専門的知識や特殊な制御、大型な発生系が必要な事などがマイクロ光コムの分野を超えた応用やキラーアプリケーションを探索する上での障壁となっていた。本課題で開発した可搬マイクロ光コム発生系は分野横断的な共同研究等に直接役立てる事が出来るもので、先端技術の民生応用利用を推進するために有意義なものである。また、本課題で利用した測定手法は汎用性が高いものであり様々な学術的研究に応用できる。