1 GHz spaced frequency comb: NEW taccor comb

15 Sep 2016

The taccor comb uses a high repetition rate Ti:Sapphire mode locked laser for comb generation, enabling generation of significantly higher supercontinuum average power,  and hence an enhanced SNR for heterodyne beat measurements or direct frequency comb spectroscopy applications. An extension to the existing successful range of 1 GHz lasers, the taccor comb is a complete frequency comb system.

Today, frequency combs enable precision optical frequency measurements much in the same way as a rule is used to measure a distance. They serve in many laboratories worldwide to perform fundamental physics experiments such as measurement of the drift of fundamental natural constants. They are used to perform massively parallel precision optical spectroscopy or to synthesize microwave signals with unprecedentedly low phase-noise. Frequency combs also support the development of novel superior optical atomic clocks, by functioning as their clockwork, which may eventually lead to such practical advances as a more precise GPS navigation.

Laser Quantum’s taccor comb has enabled optical frequency measurements with 20 significant figures, the highest accuracy demonstrated to date. There are three compelling reasons for the success of our taccor comb:

• The large comb spacing of 1 GHz allows easy determination of the comb mode index.
• The achievable power per frequency comb tooth at 1 GHz is approximately 10 times higher than with a conventional 100 MHz laser.
• Laser Quantum’s GHz comb offers a remarkably small footprint.

The comb comprises: a powerful 1 GHz turn-key Ti:Sapphire laser and a matched dispersion compensation module, super-continuum generation and ultra-stable f-to-2f interferometer all in a single sealed and ultra-stable housing. The taccor comb is fully stabilised using the Menlo Systems XPS800-E feedback loop electronics and provides an electrical output signal at the carrier-envelope offset (CEO) frequency with at least 40 dB signal-to-noise ratio in 300 kHz bandwidth. The super-continuum generation fibre coupling is stable for long periods and any long-term variations can be compensated with piezo actuators, controlled via a touch-screen interface. The comb extension can be used in conjunction with the taccor power or taccor ultra, offering up to 1 W of useable 800 nm after the CEO frequency measurement. When combined with the taccor ultra 8 or 10, the system delivers up to 800 mW of output power with 15 fs pulse duration.

To find out more and see our taccor comb, please visit www.laserquantum/taccorcomb