基于噪声免疫腔增强光外差分子光谱技术实现光纤激光器到1530.58 nmNH_3亚多普勒饱和光谱的频率锁定

噪声免疫腔增强光外差分子光谱技术(NICE-OHMS)由于结合了频率调制光谱与腔增强光谱两种技术,不仅可以将激光耦合到高精细度谐振腔大幅提高腔内功率,还可以实现低气压样品气体的高灵敏测量,因此基于该技术可以实现分子吸收线的饱和,获得亚多普勒光谱,从而能作为激光频率锁定的参考.本文基于光纤激光器的NICE-OHMS技术,将光纤激光器频率锁定到NH3的亚多普勒吸收线上.首先分析了基于Pound-Drever-Hall和DeVoe-Brewer技术实现激光到腔模和调制频率到腔自由光谱区频率锁定的性能,之后在腔内气压为70 mTorr条件下,测量了半高全宽为2.05 MHz的NH3亚多普勒信号,最后将1.53μm的光纤激光器频率锁定到该亚多普勒吸收线上,相对频率偏差为16.3 kHz,阿伦方差结果显示,136 s积分时间下频率稳定度达到1.6×10~(-12).     

Characterisation of the potential of frequency modulation and optical feedback locking for cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy

A combination of optical feedback self-locking of a continuous-wave distributed feedback diode laser to a V-shaped high finesse cavity, laser phase modulation at a frequency equal to the free spectral range of the V-cavity and detection of the transmitted laser beam at this high modulation frequency is described for the possible application in cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy. In order to estimate the noise level of an absorbance baseline, the triplet of frequency modulated light, i.e. the central laser frequency and the two sidebands, were transmitted through both the V-cavity in open air and a 1.5-cm long optical cell placed behind the cavity output mirror and filled with acetylene (C₂H₂) at low pressure. The performance of the setup was evaluated from the measured relative intensity noise on the cavity output (normalised by the bandwidth) and the frequency modulation absorption signals induced by C₂H₂ absorption in the 1.5-cm cell. From these data, we estimate that the noise-equivalent absorption sensitivity of 2.1 × 10^?11 cm^?1 Hz^?1/2—by a factor of 11.7 above the shot-noise limit—can be achieved for C₂H₂ absorption spectra extracted from the heterodyne beat signals recorded at the transmission maxima intensity peaks of the successive TEM₀₀ resonances.     

Simultaneous cavity-enhanced and cavity ringdown absorption spectroscopy using optical feedback

We present a scheme of optical feedback cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy (OF-CEAS) including a fast optical switch to produce cavity ringdown spectra (OF-CRDS) simultaneously. This also works as a dynamically adjustable variable attenuator allowing to compensate for reduced signal levels in correspondence with absorption lines. For this, an acousto-optic deflector is used in a double-pass configuration to eliminate the single-pass frequency shift, which is incompatible with optical feedback. This is probably the most effective device providing the required fast response and the high extinction ratio necessary to perform clean ringdown measurements. The resulting direct comparison of OF-CEAS and OF-CRDS shows that these produce almost equivalent spectral data, with 0.3 % maximal difference at the top of an absorption line having a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 3,300. OF-CEAS is largely winning on the short-term noise level while OF-CRDS appears to be more immune from interference fringes, delivering cleaner spectra after longer averaging.     

光外差腔衰荡光谱理论研究

提出了简化的光外差腔衰荡光谱技术，避免了通常腔衰荡光谱对衰荡时间的直接测量，同时消除了腔镜损耗的共模直流信号的测量.理论上其测量灵敏度可以达到量子噪声极限，而且技术实现相对简单，更适合于分子振转光谱研究.此外，还在理论上分析了该光谱技术具有的Gauss线型的一次微分光谱线型的特点，并讨论了一些实验参量对谱线强度和线型的影响，进而给出了最佳实验参量. 关键词： 光外差 腔衰荡光谱     

Modulated transfer process forced at phonon frequencies in optical heterodyne spectroscopy

A simple spectroscopic technique is used to detect low-frequency acoustical phonons. Resonantly enhanced modulated transfer processes in optical heterodyne spectroscopy are accomplished from a frequency shifted modulated beam to an unmodulated beam in a nonlinear medium having low-frequency induced phonons. The resonance condition is achieved when the phonon frequency is set equal to the beat frequency of the two beams.     

Diffuse optical tomography: Present status and its future

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is one of the emerging modalities for the non-invasive imaging of thick biological tissues using near-infrared (NIR) light. This article reviews the fundamentals and development of DOT technology since its advent in the early 1990s, including the modeling of light propagation in biological tissues which strongly scatter and weakly absorb NIR light, the optical properties of biological tissues in the NIR wavelength range, three typical measurement methods, image reconstruction algorithms, and so forth. Then various studies are referred to for improvement of the DOT images, which are essentially low in quality due to the ill-conditioned and underdetermined problem. Studies and clinical applications presently attracting much attention are discussed in some detail. Finally, the expected future developments are summarized.     

Sub-ppb NO2 detection by optical feedback cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy with a blue diode laser

We report preliminary results on the first application of optical feedback cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy with a blue (411 nm) extended cavity diode laser (ECDL) for NO₂ detection. While this technique was originally developed to operate with distributed feedback diode lasers in the near infrared, it is here extended to ECDLs and applied to the blue spectral region. With a simple and compact optical setup, we demonstrate from the baseline noise a minimum detectable NO₂ concentration of 6×10⁹ molecules/cm³ for a single laser scan (70 ms), which extrapolated under atmospheric conditions corresponds to 200 pptv. Signal averaging should allow further lowering of this limit. Observed absorption spectra display more structure than previous spectra obtained at lower resolution by Fourier-transform spectroscopy at the same wavelength. PACS 07.88.+y; 42.55.Px; 42.62.Fi     

Polarization selective optical heterodyne detection for dramatically improved sensitivity in laser spectroscopy

The noise characteristic of available laser sources limits the sensitivity of many types of nonlinear spectroscopy. We show how to maximize the sensitivity by optimizing the strength of a local oscillator wave in a heterodyne detection scheme without altering the amplitude of the wave being detected. The intensity profile of the optimum local oscillator closely matches that of the incident probe wave, but the optimum intensity is much less than that of the probe under realistic conditions. A general signal-to-noise analysis applicable to all nonlinear spectroscopy techniques is presented along with specific applications to coherent Raman spectroscopy, two-photon absorption, saturation spectroscopy, and optical coherent transient techniques. A simple optimization procedure employing polarization selection rules is described. Detailed calculations are performed for the case of TEM₀₀ waves interacting via a third-order nonlinear susceptibility and for the case where the sample is simultaneously probed at many different frequency combinations. Supported by the National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research.     

Single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman scattering: Current status and future perspective

The single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman scattering （smSERS） has been extensively studied after the initial observation in 1997, yet there still exist unsettled issues in the fundamental mechanism of smSERS. In this review, we survey some of the recent breakthroughs in the mechanism of smSERS and its application.     

Materials for thermoluminescent dosimetry: Current status and future trends

Studies and applications of thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetric materials are reviewed. It is shown that the properties of commercial TL dosimeters satisfy a set of stringent requirements. The search and development of storage materials with required TL properties is based on approaches that involve the evaluation of the luminescence light yield. The specific features required for the dosimetry of high-energy particles and fast and thermal neutrons are considered. The use of TL with deep traps in high-temperature dosimetry is discussed. Results of pioneering studies of TL in nanosized materials are briefly presented.     

Rapidly swept, continuous-wave cavity ringdown spectroscopy with optical heterodyne detection: single- and multi-wavelength sensing of gases

Spectroscopic sensing of gases can be performed with high sensitivity and photometric precision by cavity ringdown (CRD) absorption spectroscopy. Our cavity ringdown spectrometer incorporates continuous-wave (cw) tunable diode lasers, fibre-optic coupling and standard photonics and optical telecommunications components. It comprises a rapidly swept optical cavity in a single-ended optical heterodyne transmitter–receiver configuration, enabling optical absorption of gases to be recorded either as single-frequency scanned spectra or as simultaneous, multi-wavelength tailored spectra. By measuring weak near-infrared rovibrational spectra of carbon dioxide gas (CO₂), with high resolution in the vicinity of 1.53 μm, we have realised a noise-limited absorption sensitivity of 2.5×10^-9 cm^-1 Hz^-1/2. Analytical sensitivity limits (both actual and projected) and prospective gas-diagnostic applications are discussed. Our approach to cw-CRD spectroscopy offers high performance in a relatively simple, low-cost, compact instrument that is amenable to chemical analysis of trace gases in medical, agricultural, industrial and environmental situations. Received: 16 May 2002 / Revised version: 3 June 2002 / Published online: 21 August 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +61-2/9850-8313, E-mail: brian.orr@mq.edu.au     

Selective trace detection of asymmetric rotor molecules by stark-modulated phase fluctuation optical heterodyne spectroscopy

Stark modulation of vibration-rotational absorption resonances in five asymmetric rotor molecules with hindered internal rotation allows selective detection of trace organic gas concentrations in air by means of phase fluctuation optical heterodyne spectroscopy. A parallel-beam interferometric configuration is described.     

空间外差光谱技术与FTS的比较研究

空间外差光谱技术是一种新型的可实现超分辨的光谱技术,它综合光栅和FTS技术于一体。对空间外差光谱技术与传统的傅里叶变换光谱技术(FTS)进行比较研究,介绍了两种光谱技术的光学原理,围绕着仪器的光谱分辨率和光谱范围进行比较分析,给出了一组系统设计参数的比较例子。分析结果表明,空间外差光谱技术可以充分利用探测器的空间频率,在一窄带光谱范围内,获得超高的光谱分辨率。     

A compact optical heterodyne interferometer by optical integration and its application

A compact high-resolution optical heterodyne interferometer combining a two-frequency light module and a minute optical system is described. The light module, which generates two independent frequencies of light, is fabricated by proton exchange method on LiNbO₃ substrate. We report an experiment evaluating measurement accuracy using a micro-displacement measurement system which incorporates this interferometer. Results of the experiment with a standard thickness sample show high thermal stability with maximum measurement error of 1.8 nm at a temperature from 19°C to 33°C. The system was used to measure the hysteresis of a piezoelectric element for displacements of several nm, thereby making it possible to analyze the system quantitatively in practice.     

Optimisation of laser linewidth and cavity alignment in off-axis cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy

Laser linewidth affects baseline mode structured variations and hence measurement absorption sensitivity in off-axis cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy with a continuous-wave tunable laser and a stable optical cavity formed by two high reflectivity mirrors. Cavity transmittances have been calculated for various laser linewidths and different optical beam re-entrant conditions for the cavity when overlapping of the optical beams occurs on the cavity mirrors after a finite number of beam round trips within the cavity. It is shown that in order to achieve maximum absorption sensitivity both a specific laser linewidth and specific arrangement of the optical cavity have to be selected and defined using the proposed approach.     

Invited paperFourier-transform heterodyne spectroscopy of liquid and solid surfaces

Fourier-transform heterodyne spectroscopy is a simple but powerful technique to study narrow line shapes and small frequency shifts. We review the technique and its application to the study of hydrodynamic fluctuations. We introduce a simple scheme for obtaining the full spectrum of light scattered from liquid and solid surfaces. Using this scheme we obtained a spectral resolution of 200 Hz. Two applications of the technique, one involving the detection of counter-propagating capillary waves, the other measurement of the epitaxial crystal-growth speed of a crystalline silicon interface, are presented. Received: 21 August 1996