Abstract

We demonstrate the possibility of extending the well-established metrological performance of optical frequency-comb synthesizers to the mid-IR region by phase locking the pump and signal lasers of a difference-frequency source to two near-IR teeth of an optical comb. An uncertainty of $800\mathrm{Hz}$ $(1.1\times {10}^{-11})$ in the absolute frequencies of $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{O}}_2$ transitions near $4.2\mu \mathrm{m}$ has been measured by cavity-enhanced saturated-absorption spectroscopy. Prospects for the creation of a new dense set of high-quality molecular frequency standards in the IR are discussed.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

Absolute frequency measurement of a SF₆ two-photon line by use of a femtosecond optical comb and sum-frequency generation

Anne Amy-Klein, Andrei Goncharov, Mickaël Guinet, Christophe Daussy, Olivier Lopez, Alexander Shelkovnikov, and Christian Chardonnet
Opt. Lett. 30(24) 3320-3322 (2005)

Absolute frequency measurement of rubidium 5S–7S two-photon transitions with a femtosecond laser comb

Hsiang-Chen Chui, Ming-Sheng Ko, Yi-Wei Liu, Jow-Tsong Shy, Jin-Long Peng, and Hyeyoung Ahn
Opt. Lett. 30(8) 842-844 (2005)

Frequency-comb-referenced molecular spectroscopy in the mid-infrared region

Markku Vainio, Mikko Merimaa, and Lauri Halonen
Opt. Lett. 36(21) 4122-4124 (2011)

Absolute frequency measurement of molecular transitions by a direct link to a comb generated around 3-µm

P. Malara, P. Maddaloni, G. Gagliardi, and P. De Natale
Opt. Express 16(11) 8242-8249 (2008)

Widely-tunable mid-infrared frequency comb source based on difference frequency generation

Axel Ruehl, Alessio Gambetta, Ingmar Hartl, Martin E. Fermann, Kjeld S. E. Eikema, and Marco Marangoni
Opt. Lett. 37(12) 2232-2234 (2012)