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Published on: April 4, 2017
Optical frequency synthesis and comparison with uncertainty at the 10(-19) level
Long-Sheng Ma1, Zhiyi Bi, Albrecht Bartels
1Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), Pavillon de Breteuil, 92312 Sèvres, France. lsma@phy.ecnu.edu.cn
Femtosecond laser frequency synthesizers achieve unprecedented control over electromagnetic fields. This breakthrough offers fractional uncertainties of 1 part in 10(19) for optical frequency generation.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Optics
- Laser Physics
- Metrology
Background:
- Optical frequency combs are essential tools for high-precision measurements.
- Existing methods face limitations in bandwidth and uncertainty for frequency generation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a femtosecond laser-based optical frequency synthesizer with superior performance.
- To achieve precise generation and control of electromagnetic fields over a broad bandwidth.
Main Methods:
- Referencing a femtosecond laser to an optical standard.
- Utilizing the laser's broad bandwidth for frequency synthesis.
- Comparing results from different laboratories and synthesizer types.
Main Results:
- Generation and control of electromagnetic fields over 100 THz bandwidth.
- Achieved fractional uncertainties approaching 1 part in 10(19).
- Verified performance reproducibility across multiple femtosecond laser systems.
Conclusions:
- Femtosecond laser frequency synthesizers offer a robust platform for high-accuracy optical frequency generation.
- The demonstrated performance represents a significant advancement in metrology.
- Inter-laboratory comparisons confirm the reliability and reproducibility of this technology.
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