Integrated waveguide devices for mode-locked lasers

Abstract

Mode-locked lasers can provide a stable source of optical pulses with intrinsically low timing jitter, and as such have a broad range of important applications, both as sources of low-noise microwave signals and as the key enabling technology for optical frequency combs. Integrating such laser systems onto a chip using silicon photonics will dramatically reduce size and cost, thus increasing the accessibility of this technology for widespread deployment. Mode-locked lasers can also serve as master oscillators within distributed timing synchronization systems. These systems require precise measurement and control of timing drift and jitter, which can be performed by balanced optical cross-correlation. Integrated implementations of these timing detectors using waveguides in nonlinear crystals will significantly increase efficiency and sensitivity, enabling higher performance for synchronization. In this thesis, I have developed an integrated mode-locked laser on a CMOS-compatible silicon photonics platform, as well as an integrated balanced optical cross-correlator for use in timing jitter performance monitoring and timing distribution systems.