Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Dual-etalon, cavity-ring-down, frequency comb spectroscopy.

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1011624· OSTI ID:1011624

The 'dual etalon frequency comb spectrometer' is a novel low cost spectometer with limited moving parts. A broad band light source (pulsed laser, LED, lamp ...) is split into two beam paths. One travels through an etalon and a sample gas, while the second arm is just an etalon cavity, and the two beams are recombined onto a single detector. If the free spectral ranges (FSR) of the two cavities are not identical, the intensity pattern at the detector with consist of a series of heterodyne frequencies. Each mode out of the sample arm etalon with have a unique frequency in RF (radio-frequency) range, where modern electronics can easily record the signals. By monitoring these RF beat frequencies we can then determine when an optical frequencies is absorbed. The resolution is set by the FSR of the cavity, typically 10 MHz, with a bandwidth up to 100s of cm{sup -1}. In this report, the new spectrometer is described in detail and demonstration experiments on Iodine absorption are carried out. Further we discuss powerful potential next generation steps to developing this into a point sensor for monitoring combustion by-products, environmental pollutants, and warfare agents.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1011624
Report Number(s):
SAND2010-7776
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Dual-etalon cavity ring-down frequency-comb spectroscopy with broad band light source
Patent · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · OSTI ID:1129162

On-chip, self-detected terahertz dual-comb source
Journal Article · Mon Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Applied Physics Letters · OSTI ID:22590669

On-chip dual-comb based on quantum cascade laser frequency combs
Journal Article · Sun Dec 20 23:00:00 EST 2015 · Applied Physics Letters · OSTI ID:22486259