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Updated: Sep 25, 2025

Characterizing Far-infrared Laser Emissions and the Measurement of Their Frequencies
Published on: December 18, 2015
Absolute frequency referencing in the long wave infrared using a quantum cascade laser frequency comb
Abstract:
Optical frequency combs (OFCs) based on quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) have transformed mid-infrared spectroscopy. However, QCL-OFCs have not yet been exploited to provide a broadband absolute frequency reference. We demonstrate this possibility by performing comb-calibrated spectroscopy at 7.7 µm (1305 cm-1) using a QCL-OFC referenced to a molecular transition. We obtain 1.5·10-10 relative frequency stability (100-s integration time) and 3·10-9 relative frequency accuracy, comparable with state-of-the-art solutions relying on nonlinear frequency conversion. We show that QCL-OFCs can be locked with sub-Hz-level stability to a reference for hours, thus promising their use as metrological tools for the mid-infrared.
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