Fiber-laser frequency combs with subhertz relative linewidths

We investigate the comb linewidths of self-referenced, fiber-laser-based frequency combs by measuring the heterodyne beat signal between two independent frequency combs that are phase locked to a common cw optical reference. We demonstrate that the optical comb lines can exhibit instrument-limited, subhertz relative linewidths across the comb spectra from 1200 to 1720 nm with a residual integrated optical phase jitter of similar to 1 rad in a 60 mHz to 500 kHz bandwidth. The projected relative pulse timing jitter is similar to 1 fs. This performance approaches that of Ti:sapphire frequency combs. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.