Method and apparatus for creating a clone relationship between two or more
optical-frequency comb sources (OFCSs). In one embodiment, the invention
is an apparatus having (i) first and second OFCSs, each adapted to
generate a respective frequency comb, and (ii) means for locking the
phases of two comb lines of the first OFCS and the phases of the
respective two comb lines of the second OFCS to create a full or partial
clone relationship between these two OFCSs. In one system configuration,
the locking of the phases of the first and second OFCSs is achieved by
locking the phases of two selected comb lines generated by each of these
OFCSs to the phases of the respective comb lines generated by the same
(third, reference) OFCS. In an alternative system configuration, the
locking of the phases of the first and second OFCSs is achieved by
locking the phases of two selected comb lines generated by the first OFCS
to the phases of the respective comb lines generated by the third OFCS,
and locking the phases of two selected comb lines generated by the second
OFCS to the phases of the respective comb lines generated by the first
OFCS.