SMARTKOMBS

Project funded by the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche ANR-23-CE24-0005

Abstract

This 42-month project is focused on exploring new paradigms for the generation of Kerr combs. The aim is to develop innovative photonic architectures with complex control of dispersion and dissipation or multimode cavities to realize “exotic” dissipative Kerr solitons or, more generally, self-localized light structures. We will introduce additional degrees of freedom in the intra- or inter-cavity couplings to enable spectral modeling of the comb, and study the associated dynamics, opening up prospects for the emergence of new phenomena, thus advancing our understanding of fundamental nonlinear physics. While these systems will initially be modeled using rigorous equations, the project will then rely on artificial intelligence tools (machine learning) to map these hitherto unexplored parameter regimes. Experimental demonstrations will be carried out in fiber-optic waveguide cavities in order to validate the principles and propose, via numerical simulations, subsequent implementations with integrated photonic systems. The machine learning models developed will also be used for inverse design approaches to optimize the generation of coherent Kerr combs with customized properties on demand. This fundamental knowledge will be useful for producing optimized combs for applications such as optical communication, frequency metrology and spectroscopy.