Thermometry and velocimetry in a ramjet using dual comb spectroscopy of the O2 A-band.

Dual comb spectroscopy (DCS) of near-infrared H2O absorption has been demonstrated in the past for low-uncertainty flow measurements in ground test ramjets. However, H2O is scarce at actual ramjet flight altitudes, so oxygen is a preferable absorption target. Here, we demonstrate DCS of the O2 A-band (13000-13200 cm-1) and fit temperature and velocity across different flow conditions in a ground-test ramjet, demonstrating precisions of 3-5% and 7-11% respectively in five minutes and total uncertainty estimates of 7-9% and 8-12% respectively. The DCS measurements and uncertainty estimates are compared to predicted values for the test facility.

Broadband 1-GHz mid-infrared frequency comb.

Mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometers are invaluable tools for molecular fingerprinting and hyper-spectral imaging. Among the available spectroscopic approaches, GHz MIR dual-comb absorption spectrometers have the potential to simultaneously combine the high-speed, high spectral resolution, and broad optical bandwidth needed to accurately study complex, transient events in chemistry, combustion, and microscopy. However, such a spectrometer has not yet been demonstrated due to the lack of GHz MIR frequency combs with broad and full spectral coverage. Here, we introduce the first broadband MIR frequency comb laser platform at 1 GHz repetition rate that achieves spectral coverage from 3 to 13 µm. This frequency comb is based on a commercially available 1.56 µm mode-locked laser, robust all-fiber Er amplifiers and intra-pulse difference frequency generation (IP-DFG) of few-cycle pulses in χ(2) nonlinear crystals. When used in a dual comb spectroscopy (DCS) configuration, this source will simultaneously enable measurements with µs time resolution, 1 GHz (0.03 cm-1) spectral point spacing and a full bandwidth of >5 THz (>166 cm-1) anywhere within the MIR atmospheric windows. This represents a unique spectroscopic resource for characterizing fast and non-repetitive events that are currently inaccessible with other sources.

Baseline-free quantitative absorption spectroscopy based on cepstral analysis.

The accuracy of quantitative absorption spectroscopy depends on correctly distinguishing molecular absorption signatures in a measured transmission spectrum from the varying intensity or 'baseline' of the light source. Baseline correction becomes particularly difficult when the measurement involves complex, broadly absorbing molecules or non-ideal transmission effects such as etalons. We demonstrate a technique that eliminates the need to account for the laser intensity in absorption spectroscopy by converting the measured transmission spectrum of a gas sample to a modified form of the time-domain molecular free induction decay (m-FID) using a cepstral analysis approach developed for audio signal processing. Much of the m-FID signal is temporally separated from and independent of the source intensity, and this portion can be fit directly with a model to determine sample gas properties without correcting for the light source intensity. We validate the new approach in several complex absorption spectroscopy scenarios and discuss its limitations. The technique is applicable to spectra obtained with any absorption spectrometer and provides a fast and accurate approach for analyzing complex spectra.

Broadband dual-frequency comb spectroscopy in a rapid compression machine.

We demonstrate fiber mode-locked dual-frequency comb spectroscopy for broadband, high-resolution measurements in a rapid compression machine (RCM). We apply an apodization technique to improve the short-term signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR), which enables broadband spectroscopy at combustion-relevant timescales. We measure the absorption on 24345 individual wavelength elements (comb teeth) between 5967 and 6133 cm-1 at 704 µs time resolution during a 12 ms compression of a CH4-N2 mixture. We discuss the effect of the apodization technique on the absorption spectra, and apply an identical effect to the spectral model during fitting to recover the mixture temperature. The fitted temperature is compared against an adiabatic model, and found to be in good agreement with expected trends. This work demonstrates the potential of DCS to be used as an in situ diagnostic tool for broadband, high-resolution measurements in engine-like environments.

Characterization of a DFG comb showing quadratic scaling of the phase noise with frequency.

We characterize an Er:fiber laser frequency comb that is passively carrier envelope phase-stabilized via difference frequency generation at a wavelength of 1550 nm. A generic method to measure the comb linewidth at different wavelengths is demonstrated. By transferring the properties of a comb line to a cw external cavity diode laser, the phase noise is subsequently measured by tracking the delayed self-heterodyne beat note. This relatively simple characterization method is suitable for a broad range of optical frequencies. Here, it is used to characterize our difference frequency generation (DFG) comb over nearly an optical octave. With repetition-rate stabilization, a radiofrequency reference oscillator limited linewidth is achieved. A lock to an optical reference shows out-of-loop linewidths of the comb at the hertz level. The phase noise measurements are in excellent agreement with the elastic tape model with a fix point at zero frequency.

Pulse shapes reconfigured on a pulse-to-pulse time scale by using an array of injection-locked VCSELs.

We demonstrate line-by-line pulse shaping of optical comb lines separated by 6.25 GHz. An array of injection-locked VCSELs independently modulate four optical comb lines at frequencies up to 3.125 GHz, updating the pulse shape on the time scale of the pulse period.

Resonant cavity linear interferometric intensity modulator.

We propose an intensity modulator based on injection locking of a resonant cavity with gain that has a linear transfer function, multigigahertz bandwidth, possible optical gain, and very low V(pi). The arcsine phase response of the injection-locked resonant cavity placed in one arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer is the key to the true linear performance of this modulator. The first (to our knowledge) demonstration of this modulator with 5 GHz bandwidth, V(pi) of approximately 2.6 mV, and 95 dB spur-free dynamic range is reported here.

Optoelectronic loop design with 1000 finesse Fabry-Perot etalon.

A 10.287 GHz optoelectronic oscillator is experimentally demonstrated that uses a 1000 finesse Fabry-Perot etalon as the mode selector instead of an rf filter. The results are compared with a standard optoelectronic loop with an rf filter. The substitution of the rf filter with the optical filter results in a higher rf stability and lower phase noise.