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Optics Express

Optics Express

  • Editor: C. Martijn de Sterke
  • Vol. 16, Iss. 15 — Jul. 21, 2008
  • pp: 11637–11646

Optics InfoBase > Optics Express > Volume 16 > Issue 15 > Page 11637

Lamb-dip-locked quantum cascade laser for comb-referenced IR absolute frequency measurements

S. Borri, S. Bartalini, I. Galli, P. Cancio, G. Giusfredi, D. Mazzotti, A. Castrillo, L. Gianfrani, and P. De Natale  »View Author Affiliations


Optics Express, Vol. 16, Issue 15, pp. 11637-11646 (2008)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.16.011637


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Abstract

The frequency of a DFB quantum cascade laser (QCL) emitting at 4.3 μm has been long-term stabilized to the Lamb-dip center of a CO2 ro-vibrational transition by means of first-derivative locking to the saturated absorption signal. Thanks to the non-linear sum-frequency generation (SFG) process with a fiber-amplified Nd:YAG laser, the QCL mid-infrared (IR) radiation has been linked to an optical frequency-comb synthesizer (OFCS) and its absolute frequency counted with a kHz-level precision and an overall uncertainty of 75 kHz.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

OCIS Codes
(120.3930) Instrumentation, measurement, and metrology : Metrological instrumentation
(190.7220) Nonlinear optics : Upconversion
(300.6390) Spectroscopy : Spectroscopy, molecular
(300.6460) Spectroscopy : Spectroscopy, saturation
(140.3425) Lasers and laser optics : Laser stabilization
(140.5965) Lasers and laser optics : Semiconductor lasers, quantum cascade

ToC Category:
Lasers and Laser Optics

History
Original Manuscript: April 21, 2008
Revised Manuscript: June 12, 2008
Manuscript Accepted: June 20, 2008
Published: July 18, 2008

Citation
S. Borri, S. Bartalini, I. Galli, P. Cancio, G. Giusfredi, D. Mazzotti, A. Castrillo, L. Gianfrani, and P. De Natale, "Lamb-dip-locked quantum cascade laser for comb-referenced IR absolute frequency measurements," Opt. Express 16, 11637-11646 (2008)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-16-15-11637


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