Published: June 30, 2021

Background

Mode-locked lasers are imperative for the generation and application of coherent optical frequency combs. Low noise is necessary for many applications. However, the current super low noise MLLs are massive lab-bench systems and unusable in industry applications.

Technology

This monolithic mode-locked laser is a phase-stabilized, fully monolithic solid-state oscillator. The laser is made of calcium fluoride and is drastically smaller in size and weight then current MLLs. The laser has a 1 GHz fundamental repetition rate and requires dramatically less power than fiber-based combs. Furthermore, it has excellent phase-noise performance at high repetition rates.

Monolithic Mode-Locked Laser

Advantages

  • 1 GHz Fundamental Repetition Rate
  • 10 cm X 2 cm X 1 cm Laser Cavity
  • Low Power Consumption
  • *8 GHz phase noise below -168 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz and -178 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offsets
    • *Note – the measurement is limited by the microwave generation setup rather than the MLL design

Applications

  • Instrumentation
  • Precision Measurements
  • Ultra-low Noise
  • Microwave Generation

What's Next?

This technology is available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing.

Contact

Nicole Forsberg:  nicole.forsberg@colorado.edu