Multi-harmonic near-infrared-ultraviolet dual-comb spectrometer.

Dual-comb spectroscopy in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible would enable broad bandwidth electronic spectroscopy with unprecedented frequency resolution. However, there are significant challenges in generation, detection, and processing of dual-comb data that have restricted its progress in this spectral region. In this work, we leverage robust 1550 nm few-cycle pulses to generate frequency combs in the UV-visible. We combine these combs with a wavelength multiplexed dual-comb spectrometer and simultaneously retrieve 100 MHz comb-mode-resolved spectra over three distinct harmonics at 386, 500, and 760 nm. The experiments highlight the path to continuous dual-comb coverage spanning 200-750 nm, offering extensive access to electronic transitions in atoms, molecules, and solids.

A filter-based Raman spectrometer for non-invasive imaging of atmospheric water vapor.

A new instrument was designed and developed to map the spatial distribution of water vapor concentration in the atmosphere. The high spatial resolution, sensitivity, and accuracy of the instrument enable new studies of the role of turbulence on clouds and aerosols in small-scale laboratory environments. The instrument exploits Raman scattering in a multi-pass laser configuration by using a set of narrow bandpass filters and a pair of charge coupled device imaging cameras in the 90° scattering geometry. The absolute concentration of water vapor was inferred from measured ratios of H2O and N2 vibrational Raman transitions. We have measured the number densities of water molecules in the atmosphere as low as 3.5 × 1017 cm-3, with an accuracy better than 20% and as high as 7.0 × 1017 cm-3 during minutes long observations. These measurements were taken within an imaging region 6 cm in diameter, with a per-pixel resolution 2.60 mm wide by 0.16 mm tall and 1 mm deep.

Raman spectrometer for high precision temperature sensing of atmospheric gases.

We present a highly accurate Raman spectrometer capable of measuring changes in atmospheric temperature as small as 0.75 K with high spatial and temporal resolution. The spectrometer is based on a laser diode tuned to the resonant absorption line of the 85Rb isotope near 780.0 nm. A heated glass cell containing Rb atoms was used as an ultranarrowband atomic absorption notch filter with 0.3cm-1 bandwidth and optical density as high as four. This filter was placed in front of the spectrograph and blocked up to 99.99% of the elastically scattered laser light, which made it possible to resolve the pure-rotational Raman spectra of molecular atmospheric gases. The relative intensities of pure-rotational Raman transitions were then used to infer atmospheric temperature changes.