Frequency combs (B03)

• Subject Area: Mathematics ; Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: since 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 258734477

Kerr frequency combs have the potential to revolutionize a variety of applications such as data transmission, optical ranging and signal processing. We study Kerr combs under unidirectional and bidirectional interaction with other systems. Building on the principle of two-mode pumping we investigate how a radio-frequency oscillator can phase-lock the repetition rate of the Kerr comb. We explore the dynamics of how the back-coupling of the microresonator to the pump laser can lead to synchronization. Finally, we consider how the combined effect of quadratic and cubic nonlinearities can be exploited as a step towards octave-spanning spectral coverage. The project combines modeling, analysis, numerical and experimental verification.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1173: Wave phenomena: analysis and numerics
• Applicant Institution: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Tobias Jahnke; Professor Dr.-Ing. Christian Koos; Professor Dr. Wolfgang Reichel