Tuneable Optical Frequency Comb Generator for THz Spectroscopy

We present an optical frequency comb generator with a record span of 3.8 THz suitable for high resolution THz spectroscopy, based on a single phase modulator system. The line spacing, exactly referenced to a microwave synthesizer, can be continuously tuned from 17.5 GHz to 20 GHz overcoming the limitation otherwise imposed by the free spectral range of the fibre loop, making the system capable of generating a continuously tuneable electrical signal from 122.5 GHz to >2.7 THz. The system noise has been measured up to a record frequency of 300 GHz, and shown to be limited by the multiplied phase noise of the reference synthesizer