Sub-Doppler Double-Resonance Spectroscopy of Methane Using a Frequency Comb Probe

• We report the first measurement of sub-Doppler molecular response using a frequency comb by employing the comb as a probe in optical-optical double-resonance spectroscopy. We use a 3.3 μm continuous wave pump and a 1.67 μm comb probe to detect sub-Doppler transitions to the 2ν3 and 3ν3 bands of methane with ∼1.7 MHz center frequency accuracy. These measurements provide the first verification of the accuracy of theoretical predictions from highly vibrationally excited states, needed to model the high-temperature spectra of exoplanets. Transition frequencies to the 3ν3 band show good agreement with the TheoReTS line list.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)