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Hertz-linewidth semiconductor lasers using CMOS-ready ultra-high-Q microresonators

Nature Photonics volume 15, pages 346–353 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Driven by narrow-linewidth bench-top lasers, coherent optical systems spanning optical communications, metrology and sensing provide unrivalled performance. To transfer these capabilities from the laboratory to the real world, a key missing ingredient is a mass-produced integrated laser with superior coherence. Here, we bridge conventional semiconductor lasers and coherent optical systems using CMOS-foundry-fabricated microresonators with a high Q factor of over 260 million and finesse over 42,000. A five-orders-of-magnitude noise reduction in the pump laser is demonstrated, enabling a frequency noise of 0.2 Hz2 Hz−1 to be achieved in an electrically pumped integrated laser, with a corresponding short-term linewidth of 1.2 Hz. Moreover, the same configuration is shown to relieve the dispersion requirements for microcomb generation that have handicapped certain nonlinear platforms. The simultaneous realization of this high Q factor, highly coherent lasers and frequency combs using foundry-based technologies paves the way for volume manufacturing of a wide range of coherent optical systems.

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Fig. 1: CMOS-ready ultra-high-Q Si3N4 microresonators.
Fig. 2: Hybrid integrated narrow-linewidth laser based on the ultra-high-Q Si3N4 microresonator.
Fig. 3: Formation of mode-locked Kerr combs.
Fig. 4: Coherence of integrated mode-locked Kerr combs.
Fig. 5: Comparison of finesse and intrinsic Q factors of state-of-the-art integrated microresonators.

Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are available within the paper and its Supplementary Information. Further source data will be made available on reasonable request.

Code availability

The analysis codes will be made available on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the DODOS (HR0011-15-C-055) and APHI (FA9453-19-C-0029) programmes and Anello Photonics.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Warren Jin, Qi-Fan Yang, Lin Chang, Boqiang Shen, Heming Wang.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ECE Department, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Warren Jin, Lin Chang, Mark A. Leal & John E. Bowers

  2. T. J. Watson Laboratory of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Qi-Fan Yang, Boqiang Shen, Heming Wang, Lue Wu, Maodong Gao & Kerry J. Vahala

  3. Anello Photonics, Santa Clara, CA, USA

    Avi Feshali & Mario Paniccia

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Contributions

The experiments were conceived by W.J., Q.-F.Y., L.C., B.S. and H.W. The devices were designed by W.J. and A.F. Measurements were performed by W.J., Q.-F.Y., L.C., B.S. and H.W., with assistance from M.A.L., L.W. and M.G. Analysis of the results was conducted by W.J., Q.-F.Y. and H.W. The project was coordinated by Q.-F.Y. and L.C. under the supervision of J.E.B., K.J.V. and M.P. All authors participated in writing the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Kerry J. Vahala or John E. Bowers.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Peer review information Nature Photonics thanks Andrey Matsko, Michael Watts and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Supplementary Figs. 1–6 and Discussion.

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Jin, W., Yang, QF., Chang, L. et al. Hertz-linewidth semiconductor lasers using CMOS-ready ultra-high-Q microresonators. Nat. Photonics 15, 346–353 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-021-00761-7

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