Clocks, combs and optical arbitrary waveforms

Summary form only given. This paper describes about the strategy and progress towards the generation of optical arbitrary waveforms based on femtosecond laser frequency combs. With octave-spanning spectra we lock the laser's optical frequencies to the repetition rate via second harmonic generation and f-to-2f comparison. We then further lock the resulting phase stabilized comb to a compact methane-stabilized HeNe laser frequency reference at 3.39 mum via difference frequency generation. The goal is to achieve this with the multi-gigahertz comb frequency spacing needed to demultiplex the individual comb lines in an integrated photonic circuit, and then modulate each one independently in phase and amplitude at the laser repetition rate. Recent results obtained with both Ti:sapphire and fiber laser systems will be presented. Together these systems promise to provide referenced and stabilized frequency combs extending from 500 nm to 2 mum.