• Photonics Research
  • Vol. 13, Issue 2, 426 (2025)
Zhaoxi Chen1,3,†, Yiwen Zhang1,†, Hanke Feng1, Yuansong Zeng1,2..., Ke Zhang1 and Cheng Wang1,2,*|Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
  • 2State Key Laboratory of Terahertz and Millimeter Waves, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
  • 3e-mail: zxchen4@cityu.edu.hk
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    DOI: 10.1364/PRJ.546194 Cite this Article Set citation alerts
    Zhaoxi Chen, Yiwen Zhang, Hanke Feng, Yuansong Zeng, Ke Zhang, Cheng Wang, "Microwave-resonator-enabled broadband on-chip electro-optic frequency comb generation," Photonics Res. 13, 426 (2025) Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Optical frequency combs play a crucial role in optical communications, time-frequency metrology, precise ranging, and sensing. Among various generation schemes, resonant electro-optic combs are particularly attractive for their excellent stability, flexibility, and broad bandwidths. In this approach, an optical pump undergoes multiple electro-optic modulation processes in a high-Q optical resonator, resulting in cascaded spectral sidebands. However, most resonant electro-optic combs to date make use of lumped-capacitor electrodes with relatively inefficient utilization of the input electrical power. This design also reflects most electrical power back to the driving circuits and necessitates costly radio-frequency (RF) isolators in between, presenting substantial challenges in practical applications. To address these issues, we present an RF circuit friendly electro-optic frequency comb generator incorporated with on-chip coplanar microwave resonator electrodes, based on a thin-film lithium niobate platform. Our design achieves more than three times electrical power reduction with minimal reflection at the designed comb repetition rate of 25GHz. We experimentally demonstrate broadband electro-optic frequency comb generation with a comb span of >85nm at a moderate electrical driving power of 740 mW (28.7 dBm). Our power-efficient and isolator-free electro-optic comb source could offer a compact, low-cost, and simple-to-design solution for applications in spectroscopy, high-precise metrology, and optical communications.
    Zin=1iωCκ+Rp+ZLCR=1iωCκ+Rp+(1iωL+iωC+1R)1,

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    Cl=4ε0εeffK(k0)K(k0),

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    Ll=μ04K(k0)K(k0),

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    k0=WW+2Sandk0=(1k02),

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    Z0=Ll/Cl,

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    C=Ls×ClandL=Ls×Ll,

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    R=Z0αLs,

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    Cκ=Cunitcell×Lf×(n1).

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    Cunitcell=4εeK(k1)K(k1)andk1=wfwf+2sf,

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    Zhaoxi Chen, Yiwen Zhang, Hanke Feng, Yuansong Zeng, Ke Zhang, Cheng Wang, "Microwave-resonator-enabled broadband on-chip electro-optic frequency comb generation," Photonics Res. 13, 426 (2025)
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