Optical frequency comb generation from a 1.65 µm single-section quantum well laser

Abstract

Optical frequency combs (OFCs) in the 1.65 µm wavelength band are promising for methane sensing and extended high-capacity optical communications. In this work, a frequency-modulated (FM) OFC is generated from a 1.65 µm single-section quantum well laser. This is characterized by a 1 kHz-wide beatnote signal at ∼19.4 GHz. Typical FM optical spectra are shown and optical linewidth of the OFC narrows through the mutual injection locking process in the comb formation. No distinct pulse train is observed on oscilloscope, which conforms with the FM operation. Furthermore, to add further evidence that four-wave mixing (FWM) is the driving mechanism of the comb formation, FWM frequency conversion characterization is conducted on a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) fabricated together with the tested laser. An efficiency of ∼−30 dB confirms the capability of FM mode locking.