Doppler-broadened noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical heterodyne molecular spectrometry down to 4 x 10-13 cm-1 Hz-1/2 : implementation of a 50,000 finesse cavity

• We report on the realization of a Doppler-broadened noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical heterodyne molecular spectrometry (NICE-OHMS) instrumentation based on a high-finesse (50,000) cavity with a detection sensitivity of 4 x 10(-13) cm(-1) Hz(-1/2). For the P-e(11) transition targeted at 1.5316 mu m, this corresponds to a C2H2 concentration of 240 ppq (parts-per-quadrillion) detected at 100 Torr. The setup was originally affected by recurrent dips in the cavity transmission, which were attributed to excitation of high-order transverse mode by scattering from the mirrors. The effect of these was reduced by insertion of a small pinhole in the cavity.

Subject headings

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

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

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art (subject category)