Ultrabroadband air-dielectric double-chirped mirrors for laser frequency combs

Tianyi Zeng; Yamac Dikmelik; Feng Xie; Kevin Lascola; David Burghoff; Qing Hu

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01961-4

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Ultrabroadband air-dielectric double-chirped mirrors for laser frequency combs

Original Articles

- Ultrabroadband air-dielectric double-chirped mirrors for laser frequency combs
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 10, Pages: 3000-3011(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139 MA, USA
  2.General Dynamics Mission Systems, Annapolis Junction 20701 MD, USA
  3.Thorlabs Quantum Electronics (TQE), Jessup 20794 MD, USA
  4.Chandra Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin 78712 TX, USA
- Author bio：
  
  Qing Hu (qhu@mit.edu)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01961-4
  CLC：
- Received：17 February 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-07-09，
  
  Accepted：11 July 2025，
  
  Published Online：19 August 2025，
  
  Published：31 October 2025
- Accepted：
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Zeng, T. Y. et al. Ultrabroadband air-dielectric double-chirped mirrors for laser frequency combs. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3000-3011 (2025).
DOI：

Zeng, T. Y. et al. Ultrabroadband air-dielectric double-chirped mirrors for laser frequency combs. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3000-3011 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01961-4.

摘要

Abstract

Dispersion engineering is critical for the creation of integrated broadband laser frequency combs. In the long wavelength infrared range (LWIR

8-13 µm)

frequency combs based on quantum cascade lasers are attractive since they are monolithic

fundamental oscillators with high power levels and efficiencies. One effective approach for expanding quantum cascade laser gain bandwidth is by stacking multiple gain media with different center lasing frequencies

as this leads to flatter broadband gain spectra. However

as the gain bandwidth is increased

dispersion becomes the main limiting factor for comb bandwidth. Therefore

achieving broadband combs requires schemes that can flexibly engineer the dispersion over broad bandwidths. Here

we demonstrate the ultimate nanophotonic dispersion compensation scheme: an air-dielectric slab double-chirped mirror

which we fully integrate with the quantum cascade laser gain section. This scheme relies on the highest possible index contrast and therefore provides the maximum correction per unit length over a very broad bandwidth. With this approach

we report the successful demonstration of a broadband room-temperature LWIR laser frequency comb on a gain medium that normally does not form combs without deliberate dispersion compensations. Our air-dielectric mirrors are versatile and can be extended to other integrated laser frequency combs in different material platforms and frequency bands.

关键词

Keywords

references

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