Femtosecond-driven up-conversion in a radially poled LiNbO3 microresonator

Nowadays, there are plenty of different techniques developed for the generation of Optical Frequency Combs (OFCs), but Mode Locked Laser (MLL) OFC is still the most commonly used and commercially available one [1]. Although MLLs are capable of producing very high-peak power OFCs with femtosecond pulse durations, it is sometimes challenging to apply them directly for a number of reasons. First, MLLs typically produce OFCs with repetition frequencies (fr) below 1 GHz, so additional filtering of the unwanted modes is required for the applications in telecommunications, astrocombs etc. Second, many spectral regions - namely mid-infrared, visible and ultraviolet - are difficult to access by MLLs, which implies the use of external parametric up- and down-conversion. One promising platform for such spectral transfer is high Q-factor optical microresonators based on second order (χ(2)) nonlinear crystals, since not only do they provide the desired spectral transfer, but also open up opportunities for the miniaturization of the system. In addition, such microresonators support whispering gallery modes that possess very low mode volumes, making it possible to enhance nonlinear χ(2) processes. This is a significant advantage over the already existing bulk analogs. © 2019 IEEE