Frequency Comb Lasers for Spectroscopy and Chemical Kinetics

The 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in part to Jan Hall and Theodor Hänsch for their development of optical frequency combs. As a simultaneously spectrally broadband and high resolution light source, frequency comb lasers have been successfully used in primarily physics laboratories in research topics ranging from metrology to high resolution spectroscopy. In this talk, I will highlight some recent advances in trace gas detection using infrared frequency comb laser spectroscopy, with a focus on frequency comb use in chemical reaction kinetics. I will give you an overview of frequency comb lasers, the design and implementation of a frequency comb spectrometer, and first results from our newly built system. High spectral resolution, broadband spectral coverage, and high molecular sensitivity are all achieved on an adjustable 1-50 μs timescale, making this frequency comb apparatus ideal for measuring chemical reaction kinetics where multiple absorbing species can be monitored simultaneously. I will also discuss some of the challenges and decisions that chemists might face in implementing this advanced physics technology in their own laboratory.