ABSTRACT:
An optical frequency comb based on the output of a mode-locked femtosecond laser can be a valuable tool in a variety of spectroscopic studies and applications. The frequency comb simultaneously provides excellent spectral resolution and broad wavelength coverage across the visible and near infrared. In this talk, I will describe our use of optical frequency combs for two emerging spectroscopic applications: (1) trace gas detection, and (2) calibration of astronomical spectrographs. In the first case, the output of a broadband frequency comb is used to directly measure the spectral fingerprint of an absorbing gas. A two-dimensional spectrometer permits rapid parallel readout over 5-10 THz with resolution limited ultimately by the comb element linewidth. Present efforts are aimed at adapting this approach for the 3-15 micron spectral region. The second class of applications involves using an atomically-stabilized frequency comb with large (>10 GHz) mode spacing to provide a precise calibration for astronomical spectrographs. We have focused our efforts on generating a comb in the 1550 nm range to be used in conjunction with a high-resolution spectrograph to search for earth-like planets around M-class stars.
Atomic Physics Seminar
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
3:30 PM
Physics Building, Room 204
Note special date.
Note special room.

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