Mode selection and amplification from optical frequency combs by optical injection locking: a numerical study of noise

Appl Opt. 2022 Jun 10;61(17):5274-5281. doi: 10.1364/AO.459177.

Abstract

Noise, except for residual side modes, in mode selection and amplification from optical frequency combs by optical injection locking has not been studied in detail, to our knowledge. We report a numerical study of noise behaviors, including both residual side modes and the noise between them. It reveals that comb laser injection can introduce excessive noise, compared to optical injection with a single mode master laser through the interference between residual side modes and resonances within Arnol'd tongues created by periodic forcing in the optical phase, which can be a severe problem for the case of sub-GHz comb mode spacing. The dependences of residual side mode rejection and phase noise variance on comb mode spacing, seeding power, and detuning are discussed to help in low-noise system design and operation.