Patent ID: 8208196

Claim:
A frequency comb source for producing a frequency comb, said frequency comb source comprising: a mode-locked fiber oscillator comprising a resonant Fabry-Perot optical cavity having a cavity length, L, said mode-locked fiber oscillator outputting optical pulses and corresponding frequency components separated by a frequency spacing, f rep and offset from a reference frequency by a frequency offset, f ceo ; a non-linear optical element positioned to receive said optical pulses, said non-linear optical element having sufficient optical non-linearity to generate additional frequency components that together with said plurality of frequency components output by said mode-locked oscillator form a first set of frequencies separated by said frequency spacing, f rep and offset from said reference frequency by said frequency offset, f ceo ; an interferometer optically coupled to receive said first set of frequencies, said interferometer comprising a frequency shifter that receives said first set of frequencies and that superimposes a second set of frequencies on said first set of frequencies received by said frequency shifter, said second set of frequencies interfering with said first set of frequencies to produce beat frequencies; and an optical detector optically receiving said beat frequencies, said optical detector having an output for outputting said beat frequencies.