Measurement of frequency differences between visible laser lines up to 170GHz using metal-insulator-metal point contact diodes

Frequency differences of up to 170 GHz between a cw dye laser and a krypton laser at 568 nm were measured by mixing laser and microware radiation with a metalinsulator-metal point contact diode. Beat signals are well above noise and there is still great potential for improvement when better microwave oscillators are used. From the measurements reported it follows that the diode can be used for determining still higher frequency differences of visible laser radiation.