Alexander Gaeta
Samuel B. Eckert Professor of Engineering, Cornell University
Optical frequency combs are having and will have enormous impact on many areas of science and technology, including time and frequency metrology, precision measurement, telecommunications, and astronomy. I will describe our recent research on a novel type of frequency comb that is based on parametric nonlinear optical processes in silicon-based microresonators. The dynamical behavior of how combs are generated in such a system is complex and include phase transitions, mode locking and synchronization, and femtosecond pulse generation. Ultimately, such chip-based combs offer great promise for creating devices that are highly integrated and stable and can operate from the visible to mid-infrared regimes.
My group studies the nonlinear interaction between light and matter. Our research covers various areas of quantum and nonlinear optics from the photon level to terawatts. Research areas includes ultrafast nonlinear optics, nanophotonics, nonlinear propagation in fibers and bulk media, the generation and processing of quantum light fields, and stimulated scattering processes.