1. Dual comb spectroscopy in different spectral regions

Dual Comb Spectroscopy combines high spectral resolution with broad spectral coverage and short measurement times. In the recent years, this spectroscopic method has proven its capabilities in molecular spectroscopy in different spectral regions ranging from the visible across the infrared spectral region into the THz domain, see for example [1-3]. We are currently expanding dual comb spectroscopy for different applications ranging from the detection of unknown gas mixtures to Raman spectroscopy for the examination of biophysical samples [2].

2. Electronic Fingerprint Spectroscopy

So far our knowledge about (extreme) UV characteristics of atomic and molecular gasses and condensed matter is scars due to the lack of readily available laser sources in this spectral region. Especially high resolution spectroscopic studies with an advanced relative spectral resolution on the order of 10^-5 and 10^-6 still have to be performed at synchrotron sources that are only restrictedly accessible. In the recent years, the high power laser technology has prospered such that table top high photon flux (X)UV sources with high repetition rates become possible not only with enhancement cavities [4] but also in single pass geometry. However, laboratory XUV spectroscopic studies are still limited by conventional grating spectrometers that typically provide a spectral resolution on the order of 10^-3 [5,6].  At the IEP, we are currently developing the world`s first UV dual comb spectrometer that will enable an unparalleled relative spectral resolution of up to 10^-9 outperforming synchrotron-based spectrometers by up to three orders of magnitude (see figure 1) and grating based XUV spectrometers by even up to six orders of magnitude [7].

Recently, we have developed a mobile dual comb spectrometer operating in the visible spectral region that we used for field monitoring of NO₂ in the city of Graz [8]. The world’s first broadband NUV dual comb spectrometer enabled the simultaneous detection of rovibrational states in formaldehyde and real time monitoring of this environmentally highly relevant pollution gas [9].

This research is funded the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 947288) and by the Austrian Science Fund FWF START program (grant agreement no. Y1254N).

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[1] B. Bernhardt, A. Ozawa, P. Jacquet, M. Jacquey, Y., T. Udem, R. Holzwarth, G. Guelachvili, T. W. Hänsch and N. Picqué, Cavity-enhanced dual-comb spectroscopy, Nature Photonics 4, 55-57 (2009)
https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2009.217

[2] T. Ideguchi, S. Holzner, B. Bernhardt, G. Guelachvili, N. Picqué and T. W. Hänsch, Coherent Raman spectro-imaging with laser frequency combs, Nature 502, 355 (2013)
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12607

[3] T. Ideguchi, B. Bernhardt, G. Guelachvili, T.W. Hänsch and N. Picqué, Raman-induced Kerr-effect dual-comb spectroscopy, Optics Letters, Vol. 37, 4498 (2012)
https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.37.004498

[4] B. Bernhardt, A. Ozawa, A. Vernaleken, I. Pupeza, J. Kaster, Y. Kobayashi, R. Holzwarth E. Fill, F. Krausz, T. W. Hänsch, and Th. Udem, Vacuum ultraviolet frequency combs generated by a femtosecond enhancement cavity in the visible, Optics Letters 4, 503 (2012)
https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.37.000503

[5] B. Bernhardt, A. R. Beck, X. Li, E. R. Warrick, M. J. Bell, D. J. Haxton, C. W. McCurdy, D. M. Neumark and S. R. Leone, High-spectral-resolution attosecond absorption spectroscopy of autoionization in xenon, Physical Review A 89, 023408 (2014)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.89.023408

[6] K. Hütten, M. Mittermair, S. Stock, R. Beerwerth, V. Shirvanyan, J. Riemensberger, A. Duensing, R. Heider, M. Wagner, A. Guggenmos, S. Fritzsche, N. M. Kabachnik, R. Kienberger and B. Bernhardt, Ultrafast Quantum Control of Ionization Dynamics, Nature Communications 9, 719 (2018)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03122-1

[7] V. Schuster, C. Liu, R. Klas, P. Dominguez, J. Rothhardt, J. Limpert, and B. Bernhardt, Ultraviolet dual comb spectroscopy: a roadmap, Optics Express 29, Issue 14, 21859-21875 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.424940

[8] A. Eber, et al., Coherent field sensing of nitrogen dioxide, Opt Express 32, 6575 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.513523

[9] Fürst, Lukas, et al., Broadband near-ultraviolet dual comb spectroscopy, Optica 11.4, 471-477 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.516783