Systems and methods for dual comb spectroscopy

US11686622B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of Colorado, a Body Corporate · US

Inventors

• Gregory B. Rieker · Palo Alto, US
• Caroline B. Alden · Boulder, US
• Robert J. Wright · Carlsbad, US
• Sean C. Coburn · Longmont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 16, 2020
• Grant date: Jun 27, 2023
• Expiry date: Nov 12, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2201/0221
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A frequency-measurement method uses a dual frequency-comb spectrometer as an optical wavemeter to measure the frequency of a reference laser that is used to frequency-stabilize the spectrometer. The method includes measuring a walking rate of center bursts in a sequence of interferograms recorded by the spectrometer, determining a number of teeth in each of a plurality of Nyquist windows formed by the dual frequency-comb spectrometer, and determining a Nyquist number of the one Nyquist window covering the laser frequency. The reference laser frequency can then be determined from the number of teeth in each Nyquist window, the Nyquist number, and the comb spacing of either one of the two frequency combs of the dual frequency-comb spectrometer. The reference laser frequency does not need to be measured with a separate wavemeter, or calibrated with respect to a known atomic or molecular transition.