Low Noise Heterogeneous III-V-on-Silicon-Nitride Mode-Locked Comb Laser

Abstract

Generating optical combs in a small form factor is of utmost importance for a wide range of applications such as datacom, LIDAR, and spectroscopy. Electrically powered mode-locked diode lasers provide combs with a high conversion efficiency, while simultaneously allowing for a dense spectrum of lines. In recent years, a number of integrated chip scale mode-locked lasers have been demonstrated. However, thus far these devices suffer from significant linear and nonlinear losses in the passive cavity, limiting the attainable cavity size and noise performance, eventually inhibiting their application scope. Here, we leverage the ultra-low losses of silicon-nitride waveguides to demonstrate a heterogeneously integrated III-V-on-silicon-nitride passively mode-locked laser with a narrow 755 MHz line spacing, a radio frequency linewidth of 1 Hz and an optical linewidth below 200 kHz. Moreover, these comb sources are fabricated with wafer scale technology, hence enabling low-cost and high volume manufacturable devices.