Generation of Kerr combs centered at 4.5{μ}m in crystalline microresonators pumped by quantum cascade lasers

We report on the generation of mid-infrared Kerr frequency combs in high-finesse CaF₂ and MgF₂ whispering-gallery mode resonators pumped with continuous wave room temperature quantum cascade lasers. The combs were centered at 4.5μm, the longest wavelength to date. A frequency comb wider than a half of an octave was demonstrated when approximately 20mW of pump power was coupled to an MgF2 resonator characterized with quality factor exceeding 10⁸.