Characterization of a SESAM mode-locked erbium fiber laser frequency comb with an integrated electro-optic modulator

In this paper the characteristics of a SESAM mode- locked frequency comb with an intra-cavity electro-optic modulator are examined. To our knowledge this is the first time an intra-cavity EOM is used within a SESAM mode-locked erbium fiber frequency comb. Hereby the sensitivity of the combs offset and repetition frequency is determined as a function of pump power setpoints and EOM voltages considering the cavity´s temperatures. In addition the impact of the pump laser´s relative intensity noise on the offset frequency´s linewidth is analyzed, where a standard FBG pump diode and a hybrid external cavity laser are used for comparison. To prove the comb´s function as a stable and accurate interface between optical and HF standards, e.g. for atomic clocks, three different locking schemes for the comb´s repetition rate are presented and analyzed using phase noise measurements as reference.