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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17491 |
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| _version_ | 1866914575495987200 |
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| author | Yu, Di Tong, Yitian Xia, Yu Zhu, Yuntao Li, Yuemin Liu, Mingfei Geng, Zhaoting Huang, Yuhao Huang, Yaoran Li, Zheng Wang, Jie Fu, Yunqi Liang, Hongjie Fang, Hao Lin, Jinwen Chen, Xuewen Li, Kang Cai, Xinlun Xiang, Chao |
| author_facet | Yu, Di Tong, Yitian Xia, Yu Zhu, Yuntao Li, Yuemin Liu, Mingfei Geng, Zhaoting Huang, Yuhao Huang, Yaoran Li, Zheng Wang, Jie Fu, Yunqi Liang, Hongjie Fang, Hao Lin, Jinwen Chen, Xuewen Li, Kang Cai, Xinlun Xiang, Chao |
| contents | Lasers that combine narrow linewidths with rapid tunability are critical for applications such as coherent optical ranging, distributed fiber-optic sensing, and precision spectroscopy. Despite significant progress in integrated laser technologies, the concurrent realization of low phase noise and frequency agility on a single integrated platform remains challenging owing to a fundamental architectural trade-off: conventional integrated laser designs typically suppress phase noise via high-$Q$ resonators, yet the extended photon lifetimes inherent to such resonators intrinsically constrain tuning speed. Here, we address this noise-agility trade-off by introducing a laser architecture that achieves ultralow phase noise and ultrafast tunability simultaneously. Rather than relying on ultrahigh-$Q$ resonators for self-injection locking, our design employs strong synthetic feedback within a Pockels-tunable, resonator-enhanced distributed Bragg reflector to suppress phase noise. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate a hybrid integrated laser with a short-term linewidth of 29 Hz, realized using a lithium niobate external cavity with a loaded $Q$ of only 0.62 million. The adoption of a moderate resonator $Q$ relaxes the photon-lifetime constraint on tuning speed, enabling sub-exahertz-per-second tuning rates and a chirp nonlinearity as low as 0.14%. Leveraging this laser, we implement a frequency-modulated continuous-wave LiDAR system that achieves a relative ranging precision of $1.7 \times 10^{-4}$ at a measurement rate of $1\,\text{MSa s}^{-1}$, without requiring complex chirp linearization techniques. We further demonstrate fiber-optic acoustic sensing capable of detecting sub-$με$ dynamic strain, underscoring the platform's versatility for high-speed precision optical measurements. Our work provides a route toward cost-effective yet high-performance sensing and metrology systems. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_17491 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Overcoming noise-agility trade-off in integrated lasers for precision sensing Yu, Di Tong, Yitian Xia, Yu Zhu, Yuntao Li, Yuemin Liu, Mingfei Geng, Zhaoting Huang, Yuhao Huang, Yaoran Li, Zheng Wang, Jie Fu, Yunqi Liang, Hongjie Fang, Hao Lin, Jinwen Chen, Xuewen Li, Kang Cai, Xinlun Xiang, Chao Optics Lasers that combine narrow linewidths with rapid tunability are critical for applications such as coherent optical ranging, distributed fiber-optic sensing, and precision spectroscopy. Despite significant progress in integrated laser technologies, the concurrent realization of low phase noise and frequency agility on a single integrated platform remains challenging owing to a fundamental architectural trade-off: conventional integrated laser designs typically suppress phase noise via high-$Q$ resonators, yet the extended photon lifetimes inherent to such resonators intrinsically constrain tuning speed. Here, we address this noise-agility trade-off by introducing a laser architecture that achieves ultralow phase noise and ultrafast tunability simultaneously. Rather than relying on ultrahigh-$Q$ resonators for self-injection locking, our design employs strong synthetic feedback within a Pockels-tunable, resonator-enhanced distributed Bragg reflector to suppress phase noise. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate a hybrid integrated laser with a short-term linewidth of 29 Hz, realized using a lithium niobate external cavity with a loaded $Q$ of only 0.62 million. The adoption of a moderate resonator $Q$ relaxes the photon-lifetime constraint on tuning speed, enabling sub-exahertz-per-second tuning rates and a chirp nonlinearity as low as 0.14%. Leveraging this laser, we implement a frequency-modulated continuous-wave LiDAR system that achieves a relative ranging precision of $1.7 \times 10^{-4}$ at a measurement rate of $1\,\text{MSa s}^{-1}$, without requiring complex chirp linearization techniques. We further demonstrate fiber-optic acoustic sensing capable of detecting sub-$με$ dynamic strain, underscoring the platform's versatility for high-speed precision optical measurements. Our work provides a route toward cost-effective yet high-performance sensing and metrology systems. |
| title | Overcoming noise-agility trade-off in integrated lasers for precision sensing |
| topic | Optics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17491 |