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Karl D. Nelson

Publications and source records attributed to Karl D. Nelson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Photonic chip-based optical frequency division with PZT-integrated soliton microcombs

Optical frequency division (OFD) produces low-noise microwave and millimeter-wave signals by transferring the exceptional stability of optical references to electronic frequency domains. Recent developments in integrated optical references and soliton microcombs have paved the way for miniaturizing OFD oscillators to chip scale. Critical to this realization is a rapid tunable frequency comb that is stabilized to the optical references, thereby coherently linking optical and electronic frequencies. In this work, we advance the on-chip OFD technology using an integrated high-speed PZT stress-optic actuator on the SiN soliton microcomb resonator. The integrated PZT actuator tunes the resonance frequency of the soliton-generating microresonator with a bandwidth exceeding 10s MHz and independently adjusts the soliton repetition rate without perturbing the frequency comb offset. Optical frequency division and low-noise mmWave generation are demonstrated by feedback control of the soliton repetition rate through the integrated PZT-actuator, and the soliton microcomb is stabilized to a pair of reference lasers that are locked to an integrated 4-meter SiN coil reference cavity. Our approach provides a fast, versatile and integrated control mechanism for OFD oscillators and their applications in advanced communications, sensing, and precise timing.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2025

Large mode volume integrated Brillouin lasers for scalable ultra-Low linewidth and high power

Generating ultra-low linewidths and high output power in an integrated single mode laser remains a critical challenge for future compact, portable, precision applications. Moreso, achieving these characteristics in a laser design that enables scaling to lower linewidths and higher power, and implementation in a wafer-scale integration platform that can operate from visible to near-IR and be integrated with other components. Such an advance could impact a wide array of applications including atomic and quantum sensing and computing, metrology, coherent fiber communications and sensing, and ultra-low-noise mmWave and RF generation. Yet, achieving these goals in an integrated laser has remained elusive. Here, we report a class of integrated laser that overcomes these limitations, with demonstration of a 31 mHz instantaneous linewidth, the lowest linewidth to date to the best of our knowledge, with 41 mW output power and 73 dB sidemode suppression ratio and can be tuned across a 22.5 nm range. This performance is possible due to Brillouin nonlinear dynamics that occurs within a large mode volume, nonlinear photon-phonon, MHz-scale-FSR, ultra-low loss silicon nitride resonator cavity. This laser design can scale to a new operating regime of mHz fundamental linewidth and Watt class lasers. Such lasers hold promise to unlock new sensitivity and fidelity for precision quantum experiments, portable precision applications, and atomic, molecular, and optical physics.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2024

Kerr optical frequency division with integrated photonics for stable microwave and mmWave generation

Optical frequency division (OFD) has revolutionized microwave and mmWave generation and set spectral purity records owing to its unique capability to transfer high fractional stability from optical to electronic frequencies. Recently, rapid developments in integrated optical reference cavities and microresonator-based optical frequency combs (microcombs) have created a path to transform OFD technology to chip scale. Here, we demonstrate an ultra-low phase noise mmWave oscillator by leveraging integrated photonic components and Kerr optical frequency division. The oscillator derives its stability from an integrated CMOS-compatible SiN coil cavity, and the optical frequency division is achieved spontaneously through Kerr interaction between the injected reference lasers and soliton microcombs in the integrated SiN microresonator. Besides achieving record-low phase noise for integrated mmWave oscillators, our demonstration greatly simplifies the implementation of integrated OFD oscillators and could be useful in applications of Radar, spectroscopy, and astronomy.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2020

422 Million Q Planar Integrated All-Waveguide Resonator with a 3.4 Billion Absorption Limited Q and Sub-MHz Linewidth

High Q optical resonators are a key component for ultra-narrow linewidth lasers, frequency stabilization, precision spectroscopy and quantum applications. Integration of these resonators in a photonic waveguide wafer-scale platform is key to reducing their cost, size and power as well as sensitivity to environmental disturbances. However, to date, the intrinsic Q of integrated all-waveguide resonators has been relegated to below 150 Million. Here, we report an all-waveguide Si3N4 resonator with an intrinsic Q of 422 Million and a 3.4 Billion absorption loss limited Q. The resonator has a 453 kHz intrinsic linewidth and 906 kHz loaded linewidth, with a finesse of 3005. The corresponding linear loss of 0.060 dB/m is the lowest reported to date for an all-waveguide design with deposited upper cladding oxide. These are the highest intrinsic and absorption loss limited Q factors and lowest linewidth reported to date for a photonic integrated all-waveguide resonator. This level of performance is achieved through a careful reduction of scattering and absorption loss components. We quantify, simulate and measure the various loss contributions including scattering and absorption including surface-state dangling bonds that we believe are responsible in part for absorption. In addition to the ultra-high Q and narrow linewidth, the resonator has a large optical mode area and volume, both critical for ultra-low laser linewidths and ultra-stable, ultra-low frequency noise reference cavities. These results demonstrate the performance of bulk optic and etched resonators can be realized in a photonic integrated solution, paving the way towards photonic integration compatible Billion Q cavities for precision scientific systems and applications such as nonlinear optics, atomic clocks, quantum photonics and high-capacity fiber communications systems on-chip.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2017

Integrated Waveguide Brillouin Laser

The demand for high-performance chip-scale lasers has driven rapid growth in integrated photonics. The creation of such low-noise laser sources is critical for emerging on-chip applications, ranging from coherent optical communications, photonic microwave oscillators remote sensing and optical rotational sensors. While Brillouin lasers are a promising solution to these challenges, new strategies are needed to create robust, compact, low power and low cost Brillouin laser technologies through wafer-scale integration. To date, chip-scale Brillouin lasers have remained elusive due to the difficulties in realization of these lasers on a commercial integration platform. In this paper, we demonstrate, for the first time, monolithically integrated Brillouin lasers using a wafer-scale process based on an ultra-low loss Si3N4/SiO2 waveguide platform. Cascading of stimulated Brillouin lasing to 10 Stokes orders was observed in an integrated bus-coupled resonator with a loaded Q factor exceeding 28 million. We experimentally quantify the laser performance, including threshold, slope efficiency and cascading dynamics, and compare the results with theory. The large mode volume integrated resonator and gain medium supports a TE-only resonance and unique 2.72 GHz free spectral range, essential for high performance integrated Brillouin lasing. The laser is based on a non-acoustic guiding design that supplies a broad Brillouin gain bandwidth. Characteristics for high performance lasing are demonstrated due to large intra-cavity optical power and low lasing threshold power. Consistent laser performance is reported for multiple chips across multiple wafers. This design lends itself to wafer-scale integration of practical high-yield, highly coherent Brillouin lasers on a chip.

physics.optics↗