Patent ID: 7649915

Claim:
A frequency comb source for producing a frequency comb, said frequency comb source comprising: a mode-locked fiber oscillator having a resonant cavity comprising an optical fiber having a length, L, said resonant cavity supporting a plurality of optical modes, wherein said mode-locked fiber oscillator is pumped with at least one pump laser diode, said mode-locked fiber oscillator mode-locking said plurality of optical modes to produce a mode-locked optical signal, said mode-locked optical signal comprising frequency components of said comb; a feedback system for controlling a carrier envelope offset frequency of said mode-locked fiber oscillator, wherein said feedback system comprises an element configured to control a pump current of said pump diode in response to a feedback signal representative of a beat signal frequency; and a substantially non-linear optical element having sufficient optical non-linearity to generate additional frequency components in said frequency comb, wherein said mode-locked fiber oscillator has a total dispersion less than about 10,000 femtosec 2 /m×L, said total dispersion and said feedback system thereby reducing frequency noise.