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Title: Comb-assisted subkilohertz linewidth quantum cascade laser for high-precision mid-infrared spectroscopy

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4799284· OSTI ID:22162806
; ; ; ; ; ;  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. CNR-INO-Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, FI (Italy)
  2. CNR-IFN-Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Via Amendola 173, 70126 Bari, BA (Italy)
  3. LENS-European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, Via Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI (Italy)
  4. Development Bureau Laser Device R and D Group, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601 (Japan)
  5. Central Research Laboratories, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601 (Japan)

We report on the linewidth narrowing of a room-temperature mid-infrared quantum cascade laser by phase-locking to a difference-frequency-generated radiation referenced to an optical frequency comb synthesizer. A locking bandwidth of 250 kHz, with a residual rms phase-noise of 0.56 rad, has been achieved. The laser linewidth is narrowed by more than 2 orders of magnitude below 1 kHz, and its frequency is stabilized with an absolute traceability of 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -12}. This source has allowed the measurement of the absolute frequency of a CO{sub 2} molecular transition with an uncertainty of about 1 kHz.

OSTI ID:
22162806
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2013 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English