Ultrafast mode-locked laser in nanophotonic lithium niobate

Abstract

Mode-locked lasers (MLLs) generate ultrashort pulses with peak powers substantially exceeding their average powers. However, integrated MLLs that drive ultrafast nanophotonic circuits have remained elusive because of their typically low peak powers, lack of controllability, and challenges when integrating with nanophotonic platforms. In this work, we demonstrate an electrically pumped actively MLL in nanophotonic lithium niobate based on its hybrid integration with a III-V semiconductor optical amplifier. Our MLL generates ∼ 4.8-ps optical pulses around 1065 nm at a repetition rate of ∼10 GHz, with energies exceeding 2.6 pJ and peak powers beyond 0.5 W. The repetition rate and the carrier-envelope offset frequency of the output can be controlled in a wide range by using the driving frequency and the pump current, providing a route for fully stabilized on-chip frequency combs.