SAMOP 2021 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 3: Photonics and Laser Development
Q 3.5: Poster
Monday, September 20, 2021, 16:30–18:30, P
Towards microcombs for high-resolution astronomy — •Ignacio Baldoni1, Arne Kordts1, Junqiu Liu2, Arslan Raja2, Tobias Kippenberg2, and Ronald Holzwarth1 — 1Menlo Systems GmbH, Munich, Germany — 2École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Precise and accurate calibration of astronomical spectrometers is crucial for the detection of extra-solar planets or direct measurements of cosmological expansion. A decade ago, Laser Frequency Combs presented an improved solution for the traditional calibration light sources where its regular spaced frequency grid spectrum is filtered to higher repetition rates, broadened and flattened to equal comb line intensities of the spectrometer. This system referred as astrocomb has still some drawbacks, especially in the mode filtering and spectral broadening schemes. An alternative to overcome those issues relies in the demonstration of frequency-combs through soliton formation on a low-loss microresonator (microcomb) driven only by a single cw laser. This platform provides large mode spacing on a photonic chip making it attractive for astrocombs. Here, a microcomb system is developed to replace the comb source of current astrocombs operating at 1550 nm. The microresonator fabrication via photonic Damascene process allowed high-Q based on ultralow-loss Si3N4 waveguides. Single soliton state at 12 GHz line-spacing was accomplished and stabilized for reliable long-term measurements, alongside with a repetition rate locking scheme. Once broadened, this spectrum will enable high-resolution calibration for astronomical spectrographs.