Abstract

Dual-comb spectroscopy [1, 2] opens up new perspectives in atomic and molecular physics: improvement up to a million-fold in acquisition time, sensitivity, resolution and accuracy compared to state-of-the-art Michelson-based Fourier transform spectroscopy. Dual-comb spectroscopy without moving parts detects the temporal interference between two combs with slightly different repetition frequencies. So far, mode-locked lasers have been used as frequency comb generators. The need for synchronizing, within interferometric precision, the waveforms emitted by two femtosecond lasers requires advanced experimental techniques of optical metrology, thus strongly hindering most of potential applications.

© 2015 IEEE