Cutting Edge Combs: Not for Your Hair

Tara Fortier, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Colorado

Since the inception of the first laser, scientists have been interested in controlling its optical field. Why? Atoms and molecules store within their quantum structure some of the answers to the most fundamental questions. For example, by exploring the energy levels of atoms and molecules one can determine the value of fundamental constants on which much of physics is based and test basic physics principles. The great majority of such experiments require high precision tools for exploration which are allowed by powerful techniques of laser stabilization. The subject of laser stabilization, however, is often limited to single frequency lasers that offer delta function-like line widths for exploration into the subjects previously mentioned.

To most stabilizing the optical spectrum of modelocked lasers is not immediately obvious. The pulsed nature of these lasers results for contributions of millions of optical frequencies. The stabilization of modelocked lasers has completely revolutionized optical frequency measurement and ultrafast phenomena and has given us a tool of spectacular ppower: the optical frequency comb.

In this talk I will try to explain how all this is possible and why it's so exciting.

The P/T Colloquium is
typically held each
Thursday, 3:45–5:00 PM.
Refreshments are served
at 3:15 PM.