Universal Bright-Bright Integrated Soliton Molecule via Parametric Binding

Abstract

Dissipative Kerr solitons (DKSs) have emerged as the preferred solution for on-chip integrated optical frequency comb (OFC) generation in metrology. A multi-pumped DKS enables either all-optical trapping in the Kerr-induced synchronization regime, or a multi-component OFC with a locked repetition rate yet with constant frequency offsets between the components in the multi-color DKS regime. The multi-color DKS regime is of particular interest since nonlinear mixing between the DKS and the secondary pumped component generates idler waves at different frequencies that are useful for spectral extension of the DKS comb. Here, we explore multi-color idler generation at frequencies in which the resonator free spectral range matches that at the DKS. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that without phase matching, the idler forms a bright pulse fundamentally bound to the bright DKS through parametric interaction, despite occurring in normal dispersion. Our work can enable new applications in metrology and spectroscopy of quantum systems toward visible wavelengths, as the parametric nature of our bright-bright state eliminates dependence on dispersion regime or visible wavelength pumping.P.S., A.N, G.C, and C.M. acknowledge the support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant No. FA9550-20-1-0357), a collaborative agreement with the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (contract nos. 2022138-142232 and 2023200-142386) as sub-awards from the US Department of Defense (cooperative agreement nos. HQ0034-20-2-0007 and HQ0034-24-2-0001). P.S. and C.M. acknowledge the support from NIST (grant no. 60NANB24D106). A.N and G.C acknowledge the support from the Army Research Office (contract no. W911NF- 22-S-0010). S.O, K.S., and G.M. acknowledge the partial funding support from the Space Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory and the NIST-on-a-chip program of the National Institute of Standards and Technologyhttp://arxiv.org/abs/2602.0671