An electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device and its use and preparation method

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, its use, and preparation method. The device includes: a packaging box; a piezoelectric control unit installed in the packaging box; a whispering gallery microcolumn cavity installed in the packaging box, with one side of the piezoelectric control unit connected to one side of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity; a coupling optical fiber coupled and fixed to the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity, which is used to couple an external pump laser into the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity to generate intracavity Brillouin laser; the piezoelectric control unit applies pressure to the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity to regulate the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity, causing the intracavity Brillouin laser to transition from the blue detuning region to the red detuning region, thereby generating an optical soliton frequency comb. The electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device of the present invention only needs to be connected to a fixed wavelength pump laser to generate an optical soliton frequency comb through the piezoelectrically controlled microcavity device, without the need for an adjustable pump laser, an external auxiliary pump light power modulation device, a pump light frequency modulation device, or an auxiliary laser.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of laser devices, and in particular relates to an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, its application and its preparation method. Background Art

[0002] An optical frequency comb, or simply an optical frequency comb, refers to a series of discrete, equally spaced comb spectra in the frequency domain, manifesting as pulsed light with a fixed repetition rate in the time domain. With the continuous development of frequency comb technology, it has evolved from its initial focus on frequency measurement to playing a vital role in aerospace, astronomy and meteorology, precision spectroscopy, communications sensing, microwave photonics, and other fields. Currently, optical frequency combs are divided into three main categories: the first is based on frequency combs generated by mode-locked femtosecond lasers, of which those based on erbium-doped fiber systems are the most commercially successful; the second is electro-optical frequency combs based on phase-modulated single-frequency lasers; and the last is microcavity-based optical frequency combs. Unlike the first two types of frequency combs, microcavity frequency combs utilize the ultra-high quality factor and extremely small mode volume of optical microcavities to enhance the interaction between light and matter within the cavity, thereby stimulating stronger nonlinear effects. Through the intracavity four-wave mixing process, single-frequency pump light is broadened into an optical frequency comb.

[0003] With the development of microcavity optical frequency combs, the Kerr nonlinear effect within the microcavity has been exploited to balance intracavity dispersion, successfully realizing Kerr-dissipative optical soliton frequency combs. Due to their advantages such as miniaturization, low power consumption, and wide frequency spectrum, microcavity soliton frequency combs have shown great potential for practical applications. However, stable soliton comb generation is essential for practical applications. Researchers around the world have explored and developed methods such as thermal tuning, precise modulation of the pump laser, and auxiliary laser control to achieve stable soliton frequency combs. However, these methods require expensive auxiliary equipment and complex and demanding control requirements, severely limiting the widespread adoption and practical application prospects of microcavity optical frequency comb devices.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design a generation principle and device for a microcavity optical soliton frequency comb that does not require complex external assistance to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, its use and preparation method, which utilizes the synergistic effect of pump light and first-order Brillouin laser in the microcavity to achieve piezoelectrically controlled generation and tuning of the microcavity optical soliton frequency comb under single laser pumping, thereby solving the problem in the prior art that expensive auxiliary equipment and complex and demanding control requirements are required, which seriously limits the popularization and practical application prospects of microcavity optical frequency comb devices.

[0006] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention provides an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, comprising:

[0007] Packaging box;

[0008] a piezoelectric control unit, which is installed in the packaging box;

[0009] A whispering gallery micro-column cavity is installed in the packaging box, and one side of the piezoelectric control unit is connected to one side of the whispering gallery micro-column cavity;

[0010] A coupling optical fiber is coupled and fixed to the whispering gallery micro-column cavity and is used to couple an external pump laser into the whispering gallery micro-column cavity to generate intra-cavity Brillouin laser;

[0011] The piezoelectric control unit applies pressure to the whispering gallery microcylinder cavity to adjust the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery microcavity, prompting the Brillouin laser in the cavity to transition from the blue detuning region to the red detuning region, thereby realizing the generation of optical soliton frequency comb.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the material of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is an inorganic silicon oxide compound or an inorganic silicon oxide compound surface-modified with organosilane.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is set between 2 mm and 10 mm.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the length of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is set between 0.5 cm and 5 cm.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coupling optical fiber is a tapered coupling optical fiber.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tapered coupling optical fiber is a 1550 nm single-mode optical fiber.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the quality factor of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is greater than 1×10 8 .

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the contact surface between the piezoelectric control unit and the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is end-face contact.

[0019] On the other hand, the present invention also proposes a use of an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device as described in the above embodiment, wherein the electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device couples an external fixed wavelength pump laser into a whispering gallery microcolumn cavity through a tapered coupling optical fiber to generate Brillouin laser, and applies pressure to the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity by adjusting a voltage-controlled pressure control unit to regulate the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity to achieve the generation of an optical soliton frequency comb.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, comprising:

[0021] Preparation of whispering gallery micro-column cavities;

[0022] The tapered optical fiber is prepared by flame hot-melt taper drawing technology;

[0023] The prepared tapered coupling fiber is coupled to the whispering gallery micro-cylindrical cavity;

[0024] The whispering gallery micro-column cavity coupled with the tapered coupling optical fiber and the piezoelectric control unit are encapsulated in a packaging box, and the piezoelectric control unit is connected to one side of the whispering gallery micro-column cavity.

[0025] The present invention provides an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, its use, and its preparation method. An external pump laser is coupled into a whispering gallery microcylinder cavity via a tapered coupling fiber, generating intracavity Brillouin laser light. Voltage is then adjusted to cause a piezoelectric control unit to apply pressure to the whispering gallery microcylinder cavity, thereby regulating the resonant peak position of the cavity. This promotes the transition of the intracavity Brillouin laser light from the blue detuning region to the red detuning region, achieving tuned generation of a high-noise frequency comb and then a soliton frequency comb. The pump laser and the Brillouin laser work synergistically to balance the thermal instability of the microcavity, achieving locking and stable operation of the soliton frequency comb. This electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device only requires connection to a fixed-wavelength pump laser to generate a soliton frequency comb through piezoelectric control of the microcavity device. This eliminates the need for an adjustable pump laser, external auxiliary pump light power modulation devices, pump light frequency modulation devices, or auxiliary lasers, thus facilitating the widespread use of microcavity optical frequency comb devices and enhancing their practical application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view of an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 Schematic top view of an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of generating a microcavity electrically controlled soliton frequency comb in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a device testing optical path diagram in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the electrically controlled generation process of a microcavity optical soliton frequency comb in one embodiment of the present invention, wherein a) is a schematic diagram when the piezoelectric actuator is biased at 3V; b) is a schematic diagram when the piezoelectric actuator is biased at 1.5V; c) is a schematic diagram when the piezoelectric actuator is biased at 0.75V; and d) is a schematic diagram when the piezoelectric actuator is biased at 0.32V.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a single soliton frequency comb spectrum diagram tested by an optical spectrum analyzer in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Description of labels:

[0034] 10. Packaging box; 20. Piezoelectric control unit; 30. Whispering gallery micro-column cavity; 40. Coupling optical fiber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention through specific examples. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the other advantages and benefits of the present invention from the disclosure herein. The present invention may also be implemented or applied through various other specific embodiments, and the details in this specification may be modified or altered based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0036] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only used to schematically illustrate the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the illustrations only show components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component can be changed at will, and the component layout type may also be more complicated.

[0037] Due to the advantages of miniaturization, low power consumption, and wide spectrum, microcavity optical soliton frequency combs have shown great potential in practical applications. In practical applications, the stable generation of optical soliton frequency combs is indispensable. At present, means such as thermal tuning, precise modulation of pump lasers, and auxiliary laser control have been developed to achieve the stable generation of optical soliton frequency combs. However, these means of achieving stable generation of optical soliton frequency combs require expensive auxiliary equipment and complex and demanding control requirements, which seriously limit the popularity and practical application prospects of microcavity optical frequency comb devices. Therefore, the present invention proposes an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, its use, and preparation method, which utilizes the synergistic effect of pump light and first-order Brillouin laser in the microcavity to achieve piezoelectrically controlled generation and tuning of microcavity optical soliton frequency combs under single laser pumping, solving the problem that the means of achieving stable generation of optical soliton frequency combs in the prior art require expensive auxiliary equipment and complex control.

[0038] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device includes a packaging box 10, a piezoelectric control unit 20, a whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30 and a coupling optical fiber 40. The piezoelectric control unit 20 and the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30 are packaged in the packaging box 10, one side of the piezoelectric control unit 20 is connected to one side of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30, and the coupling optical fiber 40 is coupled and fixed to the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30.

[0039] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the packaging box is made of 10 metal materials, such as a stainless steel packaging box, which is used to fix and protect the piezoelectric control unit 20, the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30 and the coupling optical fiber 40. The metal packaging box provides good mechanical stability and electromagnetic shielding effect, ensuring the long-term stable operation of the device.

[0040] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the piezoelectric control unit 20 is connected to the end surface of one side of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30. By adjusting the voltage to apply pressure, the resonant peak position of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30 is controlled. The design of the piezoelectric control unit 20 enables it to precisely control the deformation of the microcolumn cavity when the voltage is applied. For example, the piezoelectric control unit 20 is a piezoelectric actuator. A piezoelectric actuator is a device that uses the piezoelectric effect to generate mechanical displacement or force. Piezoelectric actuators are typically made of piezoelectric ceramic materials, such as lead zirconate titanate, which have excellent piezoelectric properties and mechanical strength.

[0041] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 20 is an optical microcavity with a high quality factor value. As an optical resonant cavity, it is used to generate and maintain an optical frequency comb. Its special structural design allows light to oscillate for a long time in the cavity without being absorbed or scattered. In this embodiment, the cavity material of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is not limited. The cavity material of the whispering gallery microcavity can be any one of silicon nitride, inorganic silicide, chalcogenide glass and lithium niobate. In some embodiments, the cavity material of the whispering gallery microcavity can be an inorganic silicon oxide. Further, the cavity material of the whispering gallery microcavity can be silicon dioxide. For example, the whispering gallery microcavity can be silicon dioxide, doped silicon dioxide or quartz.

[0042] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the diameter of the whispering gallery micro-column cavity 30 is set between 2 mm and 10 mm, which can achieve a high quality factor, which is very beneficial for generating high-quality Brillouin lasers and optical soliton frequency combs. Micro-column cavities with a diameter between 2 mm and 10 mm have good mechanical stability, can withstand certain external pressures and vibrations, reduce resonance peak drift caused by mechanical deformation, and are also easy to manufacture and handle. The quality factor of the whispering gallery micro-column cavity 30 is greater than 1x 10 8 , preferably, its quality factor can reach 1x 10 9 , which can increase the storage time of light, improve the number of multi-path propagation of light in the cavity, help enhance nonlinear effects such as Brillouin scattering, reduce the power of external pump laser, and thus improve the generation efficiency and quality of the frequency comb.

[0043] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the coupling fiber 40 is a tapered coupling fiber, specifically a 1550nm single-mode fiber. The tapered coupling fiber is used to efficiently couple the external pump laser into the whispering gallery micro-cylinder cavity. The tapered design of the fiber maximizes its coupling efficiency near the micro-cavity and reduces light scattering loss.

[0044] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the contact surface between the piezoelectric control unit 20 and the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30 is end-to-end contact, so as to ensure that when pressure is applied by adjusting the voltage to control the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30, the pressure distribution is uniform, and the elasto-optical effect and deformation of the microcolumn cavity can be precisely controlled.

[0045] The present invention also provides a method for preparing an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0046] S1. Prepare a whispering gallery microcolumn cavity; for example, use carbon dioxide laser polishing and etching technology to prepare a silicon oxide microcolumn cavity, which includes designing the geometric parameters of the microcolumn cavity, including the length of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity and the cavity diameter; use a high-power carbon dioxide laser to polish the silicon oxide material. Laser polishing can accurately control the surface roughness and shape of the material to ensure the smoothness and geometric accuracy of the microcolumn cavity. By adjusting the laser power and scanning speed, fine processing of the microcolumn cavity surface can be achieved; laser etching is performed on the polished silicon oxide material to form the structure of the microcolumn cavity. The etching process requires precise control of the laser focus and scanning path to ensure that the shape and size of the cavity meet the design requirements. The surface quality and geometric shape of the microcolumn cavity can be gradually optimized through multiple etching and polishing cycles.

[0047] It should be noted that the prepared whispering gallery micro-column cavity 30 needs to be tested for quality factor. The quality factor is an important parameter for measuring the optical performance of the micro-cavity and is usually determined by spectral measurement and data analysis. In this embodiment, the quality factor of the whispering gallery micro-column cavity is greater than 1×10 8 , preferably 1x 10 9 .

[0048] S2. Use flame hot-melt taper technology to prepare tapered optical fibers; use 1550nm single-mode optical fibers with good optical properties and low loss characteristics as raw materials, and use flame hot-melt taper technology to prepare tapered optical fibers. By applying flames at both ends of the optical fibers, the optical fibers are partially melted and stretched to form a tapered structure.

[0049] S3. Couple the prepared tapered coupling optical fiber to the whispering gallery micro-cylindrical cavity; Couple the prepared tapered optical fiber to the micro-cylindrical cavity to ensure the coupling efficiency and stability between the optical fiber and the micro-cylindrical cavity.

[0050] S4. Encapsulate the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity coupled with the tapered coupling fiber and the piezoelectric control unit within a packaging box, connecting the piezoelectric control unit to one side of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity. Place the assembled device in a stainless steel packaging box to ensure device stability and reliability. The packaging box design should be dustproof, moisture-proof, and shockproof to protect the device's performance and lifespan during the experiment.

[0051] See also Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the present invention also provides a use of the electrically-controlled microcavity frequency comb device described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the electrically-controlled microcavity frequency comb device couples an external fixed-wavelength pump laser into the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity through a tapered coupling optical fiber to generate Brillouin laser, and applies pressure to the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity by adjusting the voltage to control the pressure control unit, thereby regulating the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity to achieve the generation of an optical soliton frequency comb.

[0052] Specifically, the packaging box 10 fixes the above-mentioned piezoelectric control unit 20, whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30 and tapered coupling fiber 40 in the metal packaging box to protect the devices and ensure their stability. The piezoelectric control unit 20 is connected to one end face of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30 and applies pressure by adjusting the voltage, thereby regulating the resonance peak position of the microcavity. The whispering gallery microcolumn cavity 30 serves as an optical resonant cavity for generating and maintaining an optical frequency comb. The tapered coupling fiber 40 is used to couple an external pump laser into the microcolumn cavity. Specifically, an external pump laser is coupled into the whispering gallery micro-column cavity 30 through a tapered coupling optical fiber 40, generating a Brillouin laser in the cavity. By adjusting the voltage, the piezoelectric control unit 20 applies pressure to the whispering gallery micro-column cavity 30 to regulate the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery micro-cavity 30, prompting the Brillouin laser in the cavity to transition from the blue detuning region to the red detuning region, realizing the tuning and generation process of the Brillouin laser to the high-noise state frequency comb, and then to the optical soliton frequency comb. At this time, the pump laser and the Brillouin laser work together to balance the thermal instability of the microcavity, thereby achieving the locking and stable operation of the optical soliton frequency comb.

[0053] See also Figures 1 to 4 As shown in the figure, its working process is as follows: the external pump laser enters the whispering gallery micro-cylinder cavity through tapered fiber coupling; inside the micro-cavity, the nonlinear interaction between the pump laser and the micro-cavity generates a first-order Brillouin laser; by adjusting the voltage of the piezoelectric control unit, pressure is applied to the micro-cylinder cavity to change its resonance peak position; as the resonance peak position changes, the Brillouin laser transitions from the blue detuning region to the red detuning region, realizing the tuning generation from the high-noise state frequency comb to the optical soliton frequency comb; the synergistic effect of the pump laser and the Brillouin laser balances the thermal instability of the micro-cavity, realizing the locking and stable operation of the optical soliton frequency comb. It can be understood that compared to existing technologies, this electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device offers advantages such as system simplification, cost reduction, improved stability, and tuning flexibility. The device features a simplified system, requiring only a fixed-wavelength pump laser and eliminating the need for a tunable laser or auxiliary modulation device. Cost reduction reduces the use of external equipment, reducing overall system cost. Stability is improved, as the synergistic effect of the pump light and the Brillouin laser effectively balances the thermal instability of the microcavity, improving the stability and reliability of the frequency comb. Piezoelectric control allows for flexible tuning of the frequency comb generation state, from a high-noise state to an optical soliton comb. This electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device has broad application prospects in optical communications, precision measurement, spectral analysis, and other fields. Its miniaturization, low cost, and high stability make it particularly advantageous in portable devices and integrated optical systems.

[0054] In some embodiments, a method for testing the optical performance of an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device is provided, wherein the device is placed in a Figure 3In the test optical path shown, pump light with a wavelength of 1550nm is used to test the device's quality factor and soliton frequency comb. This test optical path includes: a pump light source: a tunable external laser generates laser light in the 1550nm band, outputting it through a single-mode fiber; an optical amplifier: an optical amplifier is used to boost the laser power; a polarization controller: a polarization controller is used to adjust the polarization state of the pump light to ensure efficient coupling into the microcavity; a coupler: a tapered fiber is used to couple the pump light into the microcavity; a piezoelectric actuator: used to adjust the size and refractive index profile of the microcavity; an optical circulator: used to separate the forward and reverse propagating optical signals; a photodetector: converted the optical signal into an electrical signal for detection and analysis; an oscilloscope: used to observe and record the electrical signal; a spectrometer: used to observe and record the spectral characteristics of the optical frequency comb; and a high-speed photodetector: used to acquire the beat frequency signal and record it in an electrical spectrometer.

[0055] The testing process is as follows: an external laser is used to generate laser light in the 1550nm band;

[0056] The laser is transmitted to an optical amplifier through a single-mode optical fiber for power amplification to provide sufficient pump power;

[0057] The amplified pump light is polarized by a polarization controller to ensure that it matches the polarization of the microcavity.

[0058] The pump light is coupled into the microcavity through a tapered coupling fiber, causing it to circulate clockwise in the cavity;

[0059] Adjust the wavelength of the pump light and select the appropriate resonant mode to excite stimulated Brillouin lasing or soliton states;

[0060] The refractive index and deformation of the microcavity are adjusted by a piezoelectric actuator to match the resonant frequency of the microcavity with the wavelength of the pump light.

[0061] Gradually increase the pump power until the generation of soliton states is observed;

[0062] An optical circulator is used to separate the forward and reverse optical signals. The forward optical signal is converted into an electrical signal by a photodetector and then input into an oscilloscope to observe the transmission spectrum. The reverse optical signal passes through the circulator and is then split into three paths using couplers 1 and 2:

[0063] One channel is input into a photodetector and then connected to an oscilloscope to observe the electrical signal.

[0064] All the way is directly input into the spectrometer to observe the spectral characteristics of the optical frequency comb.

[0065] The other path passes through a high-speed photoelectric detector to obtain the beat frequency signal, which is then input into an electrical spectrum analyzer for observation.

[0066] It can realize the electronically controlled microcavity frequency comb spectroscopy test:

[0067] By fixing the laser wavelength of the external laser and adjusting the voltage of the piezoelectric actuator, the generation of Brillouin laser and the voltage-controlled generation process of the optical soliton frequency comb are observed and recorded by a spectrometer to verify the stability and controllability of the microcavity frequency comb.

[0068] like Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the test results of the above experiment are as follows: when the bias voltage of the piezoelectric actuator is 3V, a fixed wavelength pump laser with a wavelength of 1550nm and a power of 3.5mW is coupled into the micro-cylinder cavity, and it can be observed that the first-order Brillouin laser is generated in the cavity with a frequency shift of 10.77GHz, which shows that the Brillouin effect in the micro-cavity is obvious and the laser undergoes effective stimulated Brillouin scattering in the cavity.

[0069] When the voltage of the piezoelectric actuator is gradually reduced to 1.5V, the Kerr parametric oscillation light signal of the first-order Brillouin laser excitation parameter is observed, which shows that as the voltage decreases, the resonant mode frequency of the microcavity gradually approaches the Brillouin laser frequency, causing the Brillouin laser to enter the Kerr effect region of the microcavity, thereby generating Kerr parametric oscillation.

[0070] When the voltage of the piezoelectric actuator is further reduced to 0.75V, the Kerr parametric oscillation signal further evolves into an optical frequency comb, which indicates that as the frequency of the microcavity resonant mode gradually approaches the Brillouin laser frequency, the Brillouin laser enters the microcavity optical frequency comb region, thereby generating an optical frequency comb. At this time, the Brillouin laser is still in the blue detuning region of the resonant cavity mode, and the generated frequency comb is in a high-noise state.

[0071] When the piezoelectric actuator voltage drops to 0.32V, the frequency of the microcavity resonant mode moves further toward the Brillouin laser frequency position, causing it to enter the red detuning region of the resonant cavity and enter the soliton state, thereby generating a low-noise soliton frequency comb.

[0072] like Figure 6 As shown in Figure 1, by adjusting the voltage of the piezoelectric actuator, a single soliton frequency comb can be generated. The shape of the acquired frequency comb spectrum matches the Sech2 fitting curve, further verifying the formation of a soliton state. The spectral data of the optical soliton frequency comb can be collected using a spectrometer, recording the position and intensity of the resonant peak. The Sech2 function can then be fitted to the experimental data using the nonlinear least squares method. If the experimental data and the Sech2 function fitting curve agree well, it indicates that a single soliton state has indeed formed in the spectrum.

[0073] The present invention provides an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, its use, and its preparation method. An external pump laser is coupled into a whispering gallery microcylinder cavity through a tapered coupling fiber, generating an intracavity Brillouin laser. Then, by adjusting the voltage, a piezoelectric control unit applies pressure to the whispering gallery microcylinder cavity to control the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery microcylinder cavity, prompting the intracavity Brillouin laser to transition from the blue detuning region to the red detuning region, achieving the tuned generation of the Brillouin laser to a high-noise state frequency comb, and then to an optical soliton frequency comb. At this point, the pump laser and the Brillouin laser work synergistically to balance the thermal instability of the microcavity, achieving locking and stable operation of the optical soliton frequency comb. The electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device only needs to be connected to a fixed-wavelength pump laser to generate an optical soliton frequency comb through the piezoelectric control microcavity device. There is no need for an adjustable pump laser, an external auxiliary pump light power modulation device, a pump light frequency modulation device, or an auxiliary laser. This facilitates the popularization of microcavity optical frequency comb devices and enhances their practical application prospects.

[0074] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical principles disclosed herein are intended to be covered by the claims of the present invention.

[0075] In the description herein, numerous specific details, such as examples of components and / or methods, are provided to provide a complete understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other devices, systems, assemblies, methods, components, materials, parts, etc. In other cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not specifically shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0076] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "a specific embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention, and not necessarily in all embodiments. Thus, various appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," or "in a specific embodiment" in different places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics of any specific embodiment of the invention may be combined with one or more other embodiments in any suitable manner. It should be understood that other variations and modifications of the embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein are possible in light of the teachings herein and are considered part of the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0077] It should also be understood that one or more of the elements shown in the figures may also be implemented in a more separate or more integrated manner, or even removed because they are inoperable in certain circumstances or provided because they may be useful depending on the application.

[0078] In addition, unless otherwise expressly indicated, any marking arrows in the drawings should be regarded as illustrative only and not limiting. Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, the term "or" as used herein is generally intended to mean "and / or." Where a term is unclear in providing separation or combination capabilities, the combination of components or steps will also be considered as indicated.

[0079] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless otherwise indicated. Likewise, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless otherwise indicated.

[0080] The above description of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention (including that described in the Abstract) is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed herein. Although specific embodiments of the present invention and examples of the present invention are described herein for illustrative purposes only, as those skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate, various equivalent modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. As noted, modifications may be made to the present invention in light of the above description of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention, and such modifications will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0081] Systems and methods have been generally described herein in detail to facilitate understanding of the present invention. In addition, various specific details have been given to provide an overall understanding of embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other devices, systems, accessories, methods, components, materials, parts, etc. In other cases, well-known structures, materials, and / or operations are not specifically shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments of the present invention.

[0082] Thus, although the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments thereof, freedom of modification, various changes and substitutions are contemplated within the foregoing disclosure, and it should be understood that in some cases, some features of the invention will be employed without the corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. Thus, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular environment or material to the true scope and spirit of the invention. The invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology used in the claims below and / or to the specific embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention, but the invention is intended to include any and all embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the scope of the invention will be determined solely by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device, characterized in that: include: Packaging box; a piezoelectric control unit, which is installed in the packaging box; The whispering gallery micro-column cavity is installed in the packaging box, and one side of the piezoelectric control unit is connected to one side of the whispering gallery micro-column cavity, and the quality factor of the whispering gallery micro-column cavity is greater than 1×10 8 , and the contact surface between the piezoelectric control unit and the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is end-face contact; A coupling optical fiber is coupled and fixed to the whispering gallery micro-cylinder cavity, and is used to couple an external pump laser into the whispering gallery micro-cylinder cavity to generate intra-cavity Brillouin laser. The coupling optical fiber is a tapered coupling optical fiber. The piezoelectric control unit applies pressure to the whispering gallery microcylinder cavity to adjust the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery microcavity, prompting the Brillouin laser in the cavity to transition from the blue detuning region to the red detuning region, thereby realizing the generation of optical soliton frequency comb.

2. The electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is a silicon oxide compound and / or a silicon oxide compound surface-modified with organic silane.

3. The electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cavity diameter of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is set between 2 mm and 10 mm.

4. The electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity is set between 0.5 cm and 5 cm.

5. The electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tapered coupling optical fiber is a 1550nm single-mode optical fiber.

6. Use of the electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device couples an external fixed-wavelength pump laser into the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity through a tapered coupling fiber to generate Brillouin laser light. The device also applies pressure to the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity by adjusting the voltage to control the piezoelectric control unit, thereby regulating the resonance peak position of the whispering gallery microcolumn cavity and generating an optical soliton frequency comb.

7. A method for preparing an electrically controlled microcavity frequency comb device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: include: Preparation of whispering gallery micro-column cavities; The tapered optical fiber is prepared by flame hot-melt taper drawing technology; The prepared tapered coupling fiber is coupled to the whispering gallery micro-cylindrical cavity; The whispering gallery micro-column cavity coupled with the tapered coupling optical fiber and the piezoelectric control unit are encapsulated in a packaging box, and the piezoelectric control unit is connected to one side of the whispering gallery micro-column cavity.

Images