Laser electro-optic frequency comb in lithium niobate nanophotonics

Abstract

Optical frequency combs have revolutionized precision science and technology, yet their nanophotonic implementations have failed to simultaneously achieve high efficiency, power, and coherence. Optically driven microcombs provide broad and stable spectra but low usable power, whereas active comb generators, including mode-locked lasers, can be efficient yet offer less control over coherence. We introduce the laser electro-optic (LEO) frequency comb, a comb-generation mechanism in which coherent continuous-wave injection drives a phase-modulated laser cavity above threshold into a distinct operating regime. Unlike other coherently driven integrated comb sources, the LEO comb generates comb powers that exceed the injected continuous-wave power by an order of magnitude. We realize the LEO comb in a hybrid lithium niobate/III-V nanophotonic circuit and demonstrate milliwatt-level power per comb line, 1.76-ps pulses, a 4.7-nm background-free spectrum, and linewidths as narrow as 19.6 kHz. By unifying high efficiency, power, and coherence, this architecture establishes a definitive route to chip-scale frequency comb sources that deliver on the promise of scalable, high-performance coherent optical technologies.