Fully Frequency-Locked Multiheterodyne Architecture for Remote Optical Frequency Comb Rapid Detection

In this paper, a new approach to optical frequency comb (OFC) detection based on a multiheterodyne arrangement is presented. The architecture relies on optical injection locking as a mechanism to induce coherence between an incoming remote OFC and a local oscillator comb with slightly different repetition frequency to retrieve the information encoded in the former. An additional RF locking technique between combs is also implemented, cancelling any frequency drifts and ensuring the temporal stability of the detection scheme while preserving its autonomy from any remote comb. The detection system is validated by recording the coherently averaged transmission spectra of a fibre Bragg grating sensor imprinted into an electro-optic comb around 1540 nm within 100 μs integration time. While maintaining the range of advantages of dual-comb architectures, such as simultaneous access to manifold spectral points, high resolution, and ultrafast measurement times, the presented system holds promise for being employed as a remote comb detector for different field applications.