Sub-100-Hz DFB Laser Injection-Locked to PM Fiber Ring Cavity

Fiber ring cavity; laser linewidth; narrow-band fiber lasers; self-injection locking; Injection-locking; Laser feedback; Laser line-width; Laser stability; Narrow bands; Narrow-band fiber laser; Optical fiber coupler; Optical fiber polarization; Self-injection locking; Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Abstract :

[en] Low-noise lasers are invaluable tools in applications ranging from precision spectroscopy and displacement measurements to the development of advanced optical atomic clocks. Although all these applications benefit from reduced frequency noise, some also demand a low-cost and robust design. In this article, we introduce a novel and practical concept of a simple, single-frequency laser that utilizes a ring fiber cavity for self-injection locking of a standard semiconductor distributed feedback (DFB) laser. Contrary to previously reported solutions, our laser configuration is fully spliced from polarization-maintaining (PM) single-mode optical fiber components. This results in an adjustment- and maintenance-free narrow-band laser operation with significantly enhanced stability against environmental noise. Importantly, continuous-wave (CW) single-frequency laser operation is achieved through self-injection locking, while the low-bandwidth active optoelectronic feedback serves exclusively to maintain this regime. Operating with output powers of ∼8 mW, the proposed fiber configuration narrows the natural Lorentzian linewidth of the emitted light to ∼ 75 Hz and ensures phase and intensity noise levels of less than - 120 dBc/Hz (> 10 kHz) and - 140 dBc/Hz (> 30 kHz), respectively. Furthermore, the thermally stabilized laser exhibits a frequency drift of less than ∼ 0.5 MHz/min with a maximal frequency walk-off of < 8 MHz. We believe that translating this laser design to integrated photonics in the near future could dramatically lower costs and reduce the footprint in various applications, including ultra-high-capacity fiber and data center networks, atomic clocks, and microwave photonics.

Disciplines :

Electrical & electronics engineering

Author, co-author :

Panyaev, Ivan S. ; Ulyanovsk State University, Ulyanovsk, Russian Federation

Itrin, Pavel A. ; Ulyanovsk State University, Ulyanovsk, Russian Federation

Korobko, Dmitry A. ; Ulyanovsk State University, Ulyanovsk, Russian Federation

Fotiadi, Andrei ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté Polytechnique > Service d'Electromagnétisme et Télécommunications ; University of Oulu, Optoelectronics and Measurement Techniques Unit, Oulu, Finland

Language :

English

Title :

Sub-100-Hz DFB Laser Injection-Locked to PM Fiber Ring Cavity

Publication date :

15 April 2024

Journal title :

Journal of Lightwave Technology

ISSN :

0733-8724

eISSN :

1558-2213

Publisher :

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

2928 - 2937

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

http://xplorestaging.ieee.org/ielx7/50/10488024/10379078.pdf?arnumber=10379078

Research unit :

F108 - Electromagnétisme et Télécommunications

Research institute :

R300 - Institut de Recherche en Technologies de l'Information et Sciences de l'Informatique

Funding number :

101028712

Funding text :

European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program, the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020) under Grant 101028712.

Data Set :

10.1109/jlt.2023.3348994

Available on ORBi UMONS :

since 03 July 2024

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