Journal Articles Optica Year : 2019

High-precision methanol spectroscopy with a widely tunable SI-traceable frequency-comb-based mid-infrared QCL

Abstract

There is an increasing demand for precise molecular spectroscopy, in particular in the mid-infrared fingerprint window that hosts a considerable number of vibrational signatures, whether it be for modeling our atmosphere, interpreting astrophysical spectra or testing fundamental physics. We present a high-resolution mid-infrared spectrometer traceable to primary frequency standards. It combines a widely tunable ultra-narrow Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL), an optical frequency comb and a compact multipass cell. The QCL frequency is stabilized onto a comb controlled with a remote near-infrared ultra-stable laser, transferred through a fiber link. The resulting QCL frequency stability is below 10-15 from 0.1 to 10s and its frequency uncertainty of 4×10-14 is given by the remote frequency standards. Continuous tuning over ~400 MHz is reported. We use the apparatus to perform saturated absorption spectroscopy of methanol in the low-pressure multipass cell and demonstrate a statistical uncertainty at the kHz level on transition center frequencies, confirming its potential for driving the next generation technology required for precise spectroscopic measurements.

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hal-02190798 , version 1 (22-07-2019)

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R. Santagata, D. B A Tran, B. Argence, O. Lopez, S. Tokunaga, et al.. High-precision methanol spectroscopy with a widely tunable SI-traceable frequency-comb-based mid-infrared QCL. Optica, 2019, 6 (4), pp.411. ⟨10.1364/OPTICA.6.000411⟩. ⟨hal-02190798⟩
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