The main reason why optical frequency combs require anomalous dispersion is that anomalous dispersion can balance the impact of positive dispersion introduced by standard single-mode fiber. In the field of optical fiber communications, it is more desirable for the optical fiber to have zero dispersion rather than abnormal dispersion at the 1550nm wavelength to avoid signal distortion caused by dispersion.
In addition, optical frequency combs also have important applications in other fields. For example, in optical frequency synthesis and precision measurement, the characteristics of anomalous dispersion enable optical frequency combs to provide high-precision frequency standards over a very wide frequency range. This opens up more possibilities for scientific research and laboratory applications.
The application of optical frequency combs is not limited to laboratory environments, but can also play an important role in industrial and medical fields. For example, in laser medical equipment, optical frequency combs can achieve high-precision spectrum measurement and frequency stability, effectively improving the accuracy of medical diagnosis and the sophistication of treatment.
In addition, optical frequency combs can also be used for frequency standardization and clock synchronization of optical communication networks to ensure the reliability and stability of information transmission. Its application in high-speed data transmission can greatly increase the capacity and speed of the network and meet the growing communication needs.
In short, the application of optical frequency combs in the field of optical fiber communications has been widely studied and practiced. The characteristics of anomalous dispersion enable optical frequency combs to overcome the signal distortion problem caused by positive dispersion. Moreover, applications in other fields also show the broad prospects and importance of optical frequency combs.