Optical detection of molecular species at sub-ppt concentration levels

Author

Mazzotti, D. ; Bartalini, S. ; Borri, S. ; Cancio, P. ; Galli, I. ; Giusfredi, G. ; De Natale, P.

Author_Institution

Ist. Naz. di Ottica (INO), CNR, Firenze, Italy

fYear

2011

fDate

22-26 May 2011

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

1

Abstract

We have designed and realized a difference-frequency-generated coherent source, with 3850 - 4540 nm tuning range and TEM₀₀ spatial mode. Phase locking of the near-IR "pump" laser to the "signal" one involved in the non-linear mixing process, through a Ti:sapphire-based optical frequency comb, also gives the generated "idler" radiation narrow linewidth and Cs-standard traceability. The relatively high power of this source (30 mW at 4510 nm), greatly enhanced by a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity (F >; 11000), enables saturation spectroscopy at pressures even higher than 10 mbar.

Keywords

caesium; laser mode locking; laser tuning; light coherence; light sources; measurement by laser beam; optical design techniques; optical frequency conversion; optical pumping; optical sensors; spectroscopy; Cs; Cs-standard traceability; TEM₀₀ spatial mode; difference-frequency-generated coherent source; high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity; idler radiation narrow linewidth; molecular species; near-IR pump laser; nonlinear mixing process; optical detection; optical frequency comb; phase locking; power 30 mW; saturation spectroscopy; sub-ppt concentration levels; wavelength 3850 nm to 4540 nm; Cavity resonators; Optical mixing; Optical pumping; Optical sensors; Quantum cascade lasers; Ultrafast optics;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe (CLEO EUROPE/EQEC), 2011 Conference on and 12th European Quantum Electronics Conference

Conference_Location

Munich

ISSN

Pending

Print_ISBN

978-1-4577-0533-5

Electronic_ISBN

Pending

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/CLEOE.2011.5943069

Filename

5943069