Laser electro-optic frequency comb in lithium niobate nanophotonics

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gutierrez, Benjamin K., Xu, Yingchu, Englebert, Nicolas, Ramesh, Rithvik, Shen, Maximilian, Tseng, Deven, Tang, Adelynn, Sekine, Ryoto, Bagheri, Mahmood, Perego, Auro M., Marandi, Alireza
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Gutierrez, Benjamin K.
Xu, Yingchu
Englebert, Nicolas
Ramesh, Rithvik
Shen, Maximilian
Tseng, Deven
Tang, Adelynn
Sekine, Ryoto
Bagheri, Mahmood
Perego, Auro M.
Marandi, Alireza
author_facet Gutierrez, Benjamin K.
Xu, Yingchu
Englebert, Nicolas
Ramesh, Rithvik
Shen, Maximilian
Tseng, Deven
Tang, Adelynn
Sekine, Ryoto
Bagheri, Mahmood
Perego, Auro M.
Marandi, Alireza
contents Optical frequency combs have revolutionized precision science and technology, yet their nanophotonic implementations have failed to simultaneously achieve high efficiency, power, and coherence. Optically driven microcombs provide broad and stable spectra but low usable power, whereas active comb generators, including mode-locked lasers, can be efficient yet offer less control over coherence. We introduce the laser electro-optic (LEO) frequency comb, a comb-generation mechanism in which coherent continuous-wave injection drives a phase-modulated laser cavity above threshold into a distinct operating regime. Unlike other coherently driven integrated comb sources, the LEO comb generates comb powers that exceed the injected continuous-wave power by an order of magnitude. We realize the LEO comb in a hybrid lithium niobate/III-V nanophotonic circuit and demonstrate milliwatt-level power per comb line, 1.76-ps pulses, a 4.7-nm background-free spectrum, and linewidths as narrow as 19.6 kHz. By unifying high efficiency, power, and coherence, this architecture establishes a definitive route to chip-scale frequency comb sources that deliver on the promise of scalable, high-performance coherent optical technologies.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_20837
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Laser electro-optic frequency comb in lithium niobate nanophotonics
Gutierrez, Benjamin K.
Xu, Yingchu
Englebert, Nicolas
Ramesh, Rithvik
Shen, Maximilian
Tseng, Deven
Tang, Adelynn
Sekine, Ryoto
Bagheri, Mahmood
Perego, Auro M.
Marandi, Alireza
Optics
Optical frequency combs have revolutionized precision science and technology, yet their nanophotonic implementations have failed to simultaneously achieve high efficiency, power, and coherence. Optically driven microcombs provide broad and stable spectra but low usable power, whereas active comb generators, including mode-locked lasers, can be efficient yet offer less control over coherence. We introduce the laser electro-optic (LEO) frequency comb, a comb-generation mechanism in which coherent continuous-wave injection drives a phase-modulated laser cavity above threshold into a distinct operating regime. Unlike other coherently driven integrated comb sources, the LEO comb generates comb powers that exceed the injected continuous-wave power by an order of magnitude. We realize the LEO comb in a hybrid lithium niobate/III-V nanophotonic circuit and demonstrate milliwatt-level power per comb line, 1.76-ps pulses, a 4.7-nm background-free spectrum, and linewidths as narrow as 19.6 kHz. By unifying high efficiency, power, and coherence, this architecture establishes a definitive route to chip-scale frequency comb sources that deliver on the promise of scalable, high-performance coherent optical technologies.
title Laser electro-optic frequency comb in lithium niobate nanophotonics
topic Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.20837