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Frequency comb assisted diode laser spectroscopy for measurement of microcavity dispersion

Nature Photonics volume 3, pages 529–533 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Although invented for precision measurements of single atomic transitions, frequency combs have also become a versatile tool for broadband spectroscopy in recent years. Here, we present a novel and simple approach for broadband spectroscopy, combining the accuracy of an optical fibre-laser-based frequency comb with the ease of use of a tunable external cavity diode laser. The scheme enables broadband and fast spectroscopy of more than 4 THz bandwidth at scanning speeds up to 1 THz s−1 at sub-MHz resolution. We use this method for spectroscopy of microresonator modes and precise measurements of their dispersion, which is relevant in the context of broadband optical frequency comb generation, having recently been demonstrated in these devices. Moreover, we find excellent agreement between measured microresonator dispersion with predicted values from finite element simulations, and we show that microresonator dispersion can be tailored by adjusting their geometrical properties.

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Figure 1: Measurement scheme.
Figure 2: Frequency comb calibrated transmission spectrum.
Figure 3: Microcavity mode spectrum and dispersion.
Figure 4: Geometric dispersion of a microresonator.
Figure 5: Dispersion of a microresonator.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank M. Oxborrow for providing templates for FEM simulation of whispering gallery modes in toroidal microresonators. T.J.K. acknowledges support from an Independent Max Planck Junior Research Group. This work was funded as part of a Marie Curie Excellence Grant (RG-UHQ) and the DFG funded Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM). We acknowledge the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and P. Gruss for continued support. M.L.G. acknowledges support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. O.A. was supported by a Marie Curie Intra European Action (QUOM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, 85748, Germany

    P. Del'Haye, O. Arcizet, M. L. Gorodetsky, R. Holzwarth & T. J. Kippenberg

  2. Department of Physics, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119899, Russia

    M. L. Gorodetsky

  3. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland

    T. J. Kippenberg

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  1. P. Del'Haye
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  2. O. Arcizet
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  3. M. L. Gorodetsky
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  4. R. Holzwarth
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  5. T. J. Kippenberg
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Correspondence to T. J. Kippenberg.

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Del'Haye, P., Arcizet, O., Gorodetsky, M. et al. Frequency comb assisted diode laser spectroscopy for measurement of microcavity dispersion. Nature Photon 3, 529–533 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2009.138

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