Kerr Combs for Stimulated Brillouin Scattering Mitigation in Long-Haul Analog Optical Links

By limiting the optical input launch power, stimulated Brillouin scattering imposes detrimental effects on long haul analog optical links. Utilizing Kerr combs generated from an integrated Silicon Nitride microring resonator, we mitigate Brillouin scattering in a 25 Km sampled analog optical link. Such combs offer reduced footprint, high repetition rates and low power consumption, rendering them attractive for next generation integrated analog photonic links. The distribution of the optical carrier power over multiple spectral lines allows launching higher total average powers, significantly improving the link performance. Operating the link in an externally intensity-modulated direct-detection architecture, we compare link metrics using a soliton or a dark pulse as the sampling frequency comb source. An advantageous aspect of the dark pulse is its high pump conversion efficiency. We find that the Kerr comb pump conversion efficiency has a direct effect on the relative intensity noise and the link noise figure. We show that the spurious free dynamic range using Kerr combs can match that of the well-established electro-optic combs.