Optical frequency comb generator based on a monolithically integrated passive mode-locked ring laser with a Mach–Zehnder interferometer

We report the demonstration of an optical-frequency comb generator based on a monolithically integrated ring laser fabricated in a multiproject wafer run in an active/passive integration process in a generic foundry using standardized building blocks. The device is based on a passive mode-locked ring laser architecture, which includes a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to flatten the spectral shape of the comb output. This structure allows monolithic integration with other optical components, such as optical filters for wavelength selection, or dual wavelength lasers for their stabilization. The results show a -10 dB span of the optical comb of 8.7 nm (1.08 THz), with comb spacing of 10.16 GHz. We also obtain a flatness of 44 lines within a 1.8 dB power variation.