Parametric seeding of a microresonator optical frequency comb

We have investigated parametric seeding of a microresonator frequency comb (microcomb) by way of a pump laser with two electrooptic-modulation sidebands. We show that the pump-sideband spacing is precisely replicated throughout the microcomb's optical spectrum, and we demonstrate a record absolute line-spacing stability for microcombs of 1.6 x 10(-13) at 1 s. The spectrum of a microcomb is complex, and often non-equidistant subcombs are observed. Our results demonstrate that parametric seeding can not only control the subcombs, but can lead to the generation of a strictly equidistant microcomb spectrum. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America