Mapping Source-Resolved Phase-Noise Transfer in Soliton Microcombs
Abstract
Phase noise limits the coherence and stability of soliton microcombs, yet its origin is difficult to trace because multiple noise sources act simultaneously. It is often represented by common-mode and repetition-rate components, but how each physical source contributes to these components remains unclear. We combine subspace tracking with multi-source Ikeda-map simulations, switching each source and the Raman nonlinearity on and off to isolate its contribution. Without Raman, pump phase noise is purely common-mode, while shot noise and amplified spontaneous emission drive the repetition rate noise. With Raman, the nonlinearity coherently converts pump phase noise from common-mode into repetition-rate noise without introducing an independent noise source, yielding a parabolic linewidth profile with a quiet-point minimum below the pump linewidth. When all noise sources are present, shot noise, ASE, and RIN raise the common-mode floor and shift this minimum toward the pump, setting the achievable noise floor. The intracavity dynamics thus do not merely carry noise but actively partition it, providing a mechanistic basis for low-noise microcomb design.
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BibTeX
@misc{zhao2026mapping,
title = {{Mapping Source-Resolved Phase-Noise Transfer in Soliton Microcombs}},
author = {Zhongan Zhao and Aleksandr Razumov and Viswanathan Sankar and Jasper Riebesehl and Darko Zibar},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2607.01932},
eprint = {2607.01932},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.01932},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Mapping Source-Resolved Phase-Noise Transfer in Soliton Microcombs
AU - Zhongan Zhao
AU - Aleksandr Razumov
AU - Viswanathan Sankar
AU - Jasper Riebesehl
AU - Darko Zibar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2607.01932
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.01932
AB - Phase noise limits the coherence and stability of soliton microcombs, yet its origin is difficult to trace because multiple noise sources act simultaneously. It is often represented by common-mode and repetition-rate components, but how each physical source contributes to these components remains unclear. We combine subspace tracking with multi-source Ikeda-map simulations, switching each source and the Raman nonlinearity on and off to isolate its contribution. Without Raman, pump phase noise is purely common-mode, while shot noise and amplified spontaneous emission drive the repetition rate noise. With Raman, the nonlinearity coherently converts pump phase noise from common-mode into repetition-rate noise without introducing an independent noise source, yielding a parabolic linewidth profile with a quiet-point minimum below the pump linewidth. When all noise sources are present, shot noise, ASE, and RIN raise the common-mode floor and shift this minimum toward the pump, setting the achievable noise floor. The intracavity dynamics thus do not merely carry noise but actively partition it, providing a mechanistic basis for low-noise microcomb design.
ER -