Dual-comb spectroscopy of water vapor with a free-running semiconductor disk laser
Two different combs from a single source
Combs of light divide the optical frequency spectrum into closely spaced tines that can measure molecular absorption spectra with exceptional precision. One appealing method to extend this precision down into the microwave regime is to simultaneously use two slightly distinct combs that differ in spacing by the magnitude of a microwave frequency. The challenge is ensuring that the combs remain synchronized. Link et al. solve this problem by generating both combs from the same semiconductor laser source. The resultant dual comb delivers highly accurate spectra of water vapor, and the approach could be generalized across the optical spectrum by tuning the semiconductor source.
Science, this issue p. 1164
Abstract
Dual-comb spectroscopy offers the potential for high accuracy combined with fast data acquisition. Applications are often limited, however, by the complexity of optical comb systems. Here we present dual-comb spectroscopy of water vapor using a substantially simplified single-laser system. Very good spectroscopy measurements with fast sampling rates are achieved with a free-running dual-comb mode-locked semiconductor disk laser. The absolute stability of the optical comb modes is characterized both for free-running operation and with simple microwave stabilization. This approach drastically reduces the complexity for dual-comb spectroscopy. Band-gap engineering to tune the center wavelength from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared could optimize frequency combs for specific gas targets, further enabling dual-comb spectroscopy for a wider range of industrial applications.
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Supplementary Material
Summary
Materials and Methods
Figs. S1 to S3
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Science
Volume 356 | Issue 6343
16 June 2017
16 June 2017
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Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.
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Submission history
Received: 10 January 2017
Accepted: 1 May 2017
Published in print: 16 June 2017
Acknowledgments
We thank M. Kroner and A. Imamoglu for lending us the single-frequency laser (Toptica DL pro); J. Deiglmayr and F. Merkt for the wavelength meter (High-Finesse WS-7); and G. Villares, M. Rösch, and J. Faist for the frequency counter (Agilent 53220A). The authors acknowledge the support of the technology and cleanroom facility at Frontiers in Research: Space and Time (FIRST) of ETH Zurich for advanced micro- and nanotechnology. This work was financed by the Swiss Confederation program Nano-Tera.ch, which was scientifically evaluated by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). S.M.L., B. W. Tilma, M. Mangold, C. A. Zaugg, A. Klenner, and U.K. are inventors on a patent application (WO 2016/049787 A1) held and submitted by ETH Zurich that covers dual-comb mode-locking. Data can be obtained by contacting U.K. at [email protected]
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Swiss National Science Foundation: award296790
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