Mode-locked dark pulse Kerr combs in normal-dispersion microresonators

The generation of Kerr frequency combs in a coherently driven nonlinear microresonator is now extensively investigated more generally by the research community as a potentially portable technology for a variety of applications. Here, we report experiments in which dark pulse combs are formed in normal-dispersion microresonators with mode-interaction-assisted excitation, and mode-locking transitions are observed in the normal-dispersion regime. The mode-interaction-aided excitation of dark pulses appears to occur through a deterministic pathway, in sharp contrast to the situation for bright pulses in the anomalous dispersion region. The ability to mode-lock in the normal-dispersion regime increases the freedom in the microresonator design and may make it possible to extend Kerr comb generation into the visible, where material dispersion is likely to dominate. Dark pulse combs are formed in normal-dispersion microresonators with mode-interaction-assisted excitation, increasing freedom in microresonator design and potentially extending Kerr comb generation into the visible wavelength regime.