Kerr optical frequency comb generation in strontium fluoride whispering-gallery mode resonators with billion quality factor

We report the fabrication for the first time of a strontium fluoride (SrF2) whispering-gallery mode resonator with quality factor in excess of 1 billion. The millimeter-size disk-resonator is polished until the surface roughness decreases down to a root-mean square value of 1.2 nm, as measured with a vertical scanning profilometer. We also demonstrate that this ultrahigh Q resonator allows for the generation of a normal-dispersion Kerr optical frequency comb at 1550 nm. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America