KECK INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES

       

Optical Frequency Combs for Space Applications

November 2 - 5, 2015
California Institute of Technology - Pasadena, CA 91125

Final Report

Workshop Overview:

The goal of this workshop is to formulate space applications and mission concepts enabled by optical frequency comb technology and to identify high priority technology challenges and gaps that need to be addressed to implement these missions. Through the study program, we will develop a critical path forward for developing space qualified optical frequency comb systems.

This program would bring together a diverse group of technical experts in optical frequency comb technology, space application specialists, and potential customers in the areas of astronomy and astrophysics, navigation, laser interferometry, earth and planetary science, and instrumentation development. In doing so, it will help to foster new collaborations that will lead to extraordinary new capabilities and previously unachievable missions for NASA enabled by space-based optical frequency combs.

Specific deliverable goals for the program are to:

  1. Clearly identify 2-3 high-payoff mission concepts with enough fidelity to allow for Team X or Team I to conduct a follow-on study where a mission pointdesign could be detailed.
  2. Prioritize critical areas for frequency comb subsystem technology development needed for space applications and not currently being addressed by other agencies; make recommendations for follow-on studies.
  3. Create lasting, productive collaborations between frequency comb technologists and space science and technology specialists.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Beckman Institute Auditorium - Caltech

Short Course: Optical Frequency Combs - Principles of Operation and Applications

Introductory Lectures - Open to all interested students, researchers and faculty
Time
Event
Speaker

7:30 - 8:00

Coffee and Refreshments

8:00 - 8:15

Logistics / Introduction

Michele Judd

Team Lead

8:15 - 9:25

Optical Frequency Combs Part I - Fundamentals of frequency combs: What they are and how they work

Scott Diddams

9:25 - 9:55

Break

9:55 - 11:05

Applications of Frequency Combs

Nathan Newbury

11:05 - 11:50

Space Flight Considerations for Precision Optical Instrumentation 1

Carl Weimer

11:50 - 12:30

Space Flight Considerations for Precision Optical Instrumentation 2

Mike Shao

12:30 - 1:30

Short Course Ends: Informal Lunch is provided on the Beckman Institute Patio

 

Invitation - Only Workshop Begins
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

1:30 - 1:45

Walk to Keck Center, pick up badge and welcome packet, find seat in the Think Tank

1:45 - 2:45

Workshop Logistics and Introduction to KISS

Michele Judd

2:45 - 3:00

Participant Introductions

Michele Judd

3:00 - 3:30

Break

3:30 - 4:30

Workshop Objectives and Goals and Lightening Talks, Solicitation of Mission Seed Ideas

Team Leads

4:30 - 5:00

Frequency Comb Mission Seed Idea 1 - Planet Formation Imager - Mid-IR Frequency Combs for Heterodyne Detection

Gautam Vasisht

5:00 - 5:30

Frequency Comb Mission Seed Idea 2 - Atmospheric Gas Detection for Climate Change Studies

Christian Frankenberg

5:30 - 6:00

Frequency Comb Mission Seed Idea 3

Open - All

6:30

Dinner at the Athenaeum


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Special Topics in Optical Frequency Combs - Short Talks

Time
Event
Speaker

8:00 - 8:30

Registration, Coffee and Refreshments at Keck Center

8:30 - 8:45

Logistics

Michele Judd

8:45 - 9:00

Workshop Objectives and Goals - Introduction of Special Topics Areas

Team Leads

9:00 - 9:25

Special Topic Short Talk - 1

Tobias Kippenberg

9:25 - 9:50

Special Topic Short Talk - 2

Debra Fischer

9:50 - 10:15

Special Topic Short Talk - 3

Alex Gaeta

10:15 - 10:45

Break

10:45 - 11:10

Remote Sensing/In Situ Space Applications of TeraHertz (THz) Frequency Combs

Geoff Blake

11:10 - 11:35

Self-Referencing Electro-Optic Frequency Combs

Scott Papp

11:35 - 12:00

Towards Direct Generation of Wide Coherent Microcombs with Photonic Belt Resonators

Ivan Grudinin

12:00 - 12:30

Group picture, walk to the Athenaeum

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch at the Athenaeum

2:00 - 2:25

Kerr Frequency Combs: Pathways from Laboratory to Space Borne Devices

Lute Maleki

2:25 - 3:30

Selection of Breakout Groups and Topics, Breakout Groups Meet

Team Leads, All

3:30 - 4:00

Break

4:00 - 5:00

Breakout Groups Meet

5:00 - 5:30

Groups reconvene - Open discussion

5:30 - 7:30

Informal food truck dinner at the Keck Center (dinner starts at 6:30 pm) & Poster Session


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Special Topics in Optical Frequency Combs - Short Talks

Time
Event
Speaker

8:00 - 8:30

Coffee and Refreshments

8:30 - 8:45

Logistics

Michele Judd

8:45 - 9:00

Progress Update: Goals for Day 3

Team Leads

9:00 - 9:25

Special Topic Short Talk

Ronald Holzwarth

9:25 - 9:50

Space-Based Gravitational Wave Interferometry with Optical Frequency Comb

Massimo Tinto

9:50 - 10:20

Break

10:20 - 10:45

A Space Based Timing Infrastructure using Frequency Combs

John Burke

10:45 - 11:10

Clocks and Fundamental Tests in Space

Nan Yu

11:10 - 11:30

Group discussion

All

11:30 - 1:30

Lunch on your own

1:30 - 4:00

Breakout Groups Meet

4:00 - 4:30

Groups reconvene - Open discussion

All

4:30 - 5:00

Walk to Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall, Guggenheim Laboratory and break

5:00 - 6:00

Lecture by John Hall at Lees‐Kubota Lecture Hall, Guggenheim Laboratory, "Light, Atomic Clocks, and Einstein's Relativity"

6:15

Dinner at the Athenaeum (with spouses and significant others)


Thursday, November 5, 2015

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

8:00 - 8:30

Coffee and Refreshments

8:30 - 8:45

Logistics

Michele Judd

8:45 - 9:00

Progress Update: Goals for Day 4 (what success looks like at the end of this workshop)

Team Leads

9:00 - 10:30

Breakout Groups - Final Session

All

10:30 - 11:00

Break

11:00 - 12:00

Working Group Writing Session

All

12:00 - 1:30

Lunch at the Athenaeum

1:30 - 3:30

Open Discussion of Breakout Group Recommendations and Group Feedback

All

3:30 - 4:00

Break

4:00 - 4:40

Interim study activities and assignments - Group Discussion

All

4:40 - 5:00

Workshop Closeout

Michael Judd

5:00

Workshop Concludes


Workshop Participants:

  • Geoffrey Blake - Caltech Campus
  • John Burke - Air Force Research Laboratory
  • Kerri Cahoy - MIT
  • Pin Chen - JPL/Caltech
  • Scott Diddams - National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • Ethan Elliott - JPL/Caltech
  • Debra Fischer - Yale University
  • Christian Frankenberg - Caltech Campus
  • Alexander Gaeta - Columbia University
  • Ivan Grudinin - JPL/Caltech
  • John Hall - University of Colorado
  • Gregg Hallinan - Caltech Campus
  • Ronald Holzwarth - Menlo Systems GmbH
  • Tobias Kippenberg - EPFL
  • Stephanie Leifer - JPL/Caltech
  • Holly Leopardi - NIST, University of Colorado Boulder
  • William Loh - NIST
  • Lute Maleki - OEwaves, Inc.
  • Dimitri Mawet - Caltech Campus
  • Tyler McCracken - Yale University
  • Nathan Newbury - NIST
  • Mitchio Okumura - Caltech Campus
  • Scott Papp - NIST
  • Michael Shao - JPL/Caltech
  • Massimo Tinto - JPL/Caltech
  • Slava Turyshev - JPL/Caltech
  • Kerry Vahala - Caltech Campus
  • Gautam Vasisht - JPL/Caltech
  • Carl Weimer - Ball Aerospace & Technologies
  • Qifan Yang - Caltech Campus
  • Xu Yi - Caltech Campus
  • Nan Yu - JPL/Caltech

Short Course Presentations

S. Diddams
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Fundamentals of frequency combs: What they are and how they work
(8.47 MB .pdf)

(video)

N. Newbury
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Applications of Frequency Combs
(12.3 MB .pdf)
(video)

M. Shao
JPL/Caltech

Space Flight Considerations for Precision Optical Instruments
(1011 KB .pdf)

(video)

C. Weimer
Ball Aerospace & Technologies

From the Lab to Space: Comments on Instrument Qualification
(5.65 MB .pdf)
(video)


Workshop Presentations

G. Blake
Caltech

Remote Sensing/In Situ Space Applications of TeraHertz (THz )Frequency Combs

(7.3 MB .pdf)

J. Burke
Air Force Research Laboratory
A Space Based Timing Infrastructure using Frequency Combs
(869 KB .pdf)

K. Cahoy

MIT

Weather Sensing and Laser Communications for Nanosatellites

(4.8 MB .pdf)

D. Fischer
Yale University

Exoplanets
(7.8 MB .pdf)

A. Gaeta
Columbia University

Chip-Based Optical Frequency Combs
(5.6 MB .pdf)

I. Grudinin

JPL

Towards direct generation of wide coherent microcombs with photonic belt resonators

(1.7 MB .pdf)

T. Kippenberg
EPFL
Microresonator based Optical Frequency Combs
(5.4 MB .pdf)

L. Maleki

OEwaves, Inc.

Kerr Frequency Combs: from Laboratory to Space

(14.9 MB .pdf)

S. Papp and S. Diddams

NIST

Self-referencing electro-optic frequency combs
(6.9 MB .pdf)

M. Tinto

JPL

Space-based gravitational wave interferometry with optical frequency comb

(729 KB .pdf)

G. Vasisht

JPL

The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) – Mid IR Frequency Combs for Heterodyne (Astronomical) Interferometry

(36 MB .pdf)


Poster Session

T. McCracken

Yale University

EXPRES - the EXtreme PREcision Spectrograph (13.2 MB .pdf)

A tunable Fabry-Perot wavelength calibrator (4.7 MB .pdf)

Q. Yang and X. Yi
Caltech

Soliton frequency comb at microwave rates in a high-Q silica micro-resonator

(6.6 MB .pdf)

X. Yi and K. Vahala

Caltech

Demonstration of near-IR line-referenced electro-optical laser comb for precision radial velocity measurement in astronomy

(2.2 MB .pdf)