Soliton microcomb range measurement

作者：Myoung‐Gyun Suh, Kerry J. Vahala · 发表于：Science · 年份：2018 · DOI：10.1126/science.aao1968 · 被引用次数：709 · 研究领域：Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies、Photonic and Optical Devices、Advanced Fiber Optic Sensors

Laser-based range measurement systems are important in many application areas, including autonomous vehicles, robotics, manufacturing, formation flying of satellites, and basic science. Coherent laser ranging systems using dual-frequency combs provide an unprecedented combination of long range, high precision, and fast update rate. We report dual-comb distance measurement using chip-based soliton microcombs. A single pump laser was used to generate dual-frequency combs within a single microresonator as counterpropagating solitons. We demonstrated time-of-flight measurement with 200-nanometer precision at an averaging time of 500 milliseconds within a range ambiguity of 16 millimeters. Measurements at distances up to 25 meters with much lower precision were also performed. Our chip-based source is an important step toward miniature dual-comb laser ranging systems that are suitable for photonic integration.