Software reconfigurable highly flexible gain switched optical frequency comb source.

The authors present the performance and noise properties of a software reconfigurable, FSR and wavelength tunable gain switched optical frequency comb source. This source, based on the external injection of a temperature tuned Fabry-Pérot laser diode, offers quasi-continuous wavelength tunability over the C-band (30nm) and FSR tunability ranging from 6 to 14GHz. The results achieved demonstrate the excellent spectral quality of the comb tones (RIN ~-130dB/Hz and low phase noise of 300kHz) and its outstanding stability (with fluctuations of the individual comb tones of less than 0.5dB in power and 5pm in wavelength, characterized over 24hours) highlighting its suitability for employment in next generation flexible optical transmission networks.