Efficiency of pulse pumped soliton microcombs

Temporal soliton mode locking in coherently pumped microcavities is a promising route towards miniaturized frequency comb systems. However, the power efficiency of the resulting microcombs is usually quite low. Soliton generation by pulse pumping provides away to increase conversion efficiency (so far, as high as 8%). Here, we study conversion efficiency and report a single-soliton conversion efficiency as high as 54% using a scanning laser, as well as a steady-state single-soliton conversion efficiency as high as 34%. We use the Lagrangian approach to develop analytical expressions for efficiency and soliton temporal placement within the pumping pulse, and our measurements reveal features in the tuning dependence of soliton power and efficiency not seen in continuous pumping. Our experimentally confirmed expressions for efficiency will be useful in understanding advantages and limitations of pulse pumped systems. (C) 2022 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

The study focuses on the conversion efficiency in pulse pumped systems and demonstrates high single-soliton conversion efficiencies using a scanning laser. Analytical expressions developed through the Lagrangian approach reveal tuning dependence features of soliton power and efficiency not observed in continuous pumping.