Toward a low-jitter 10 GHz pulsed source with an optical frequency comb generator

We demonstrate low residual timing jitter of 10 GHz pulses from a 1.55 mu m optical frequency comb generator based on a doubly-resonant electrooptic modulator. The pulse timing jitter is analyzed, and we illustrate that the pump laser's linewidth plays a dominant role in the timing jitter. For Fourier frequencies from 1 Hz to 10 MHz, integrated residual timing jitter at 10 GHz was reduced from similar to 94 fs to similar to 8 fs when the pump laser's linewidth was reduced from similar to 10 MHz to similar to 1 kHz. An electronic servo was used to stabilize the operation point of the comb generator. With the servo, the integrated residual timing jitter was further reduced to similar to 6 fs, and the corresponding residual phase noise power density is -105 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz frequency offset from the 10 GHz pulse carrier. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.