Researchers at NIST have created the first 2D images of a “frequency comb” – a tool used for measuring and manipulating light frequencies. The new technique transforms frequency combs from 1D “hair combs” into 2D “brushes” that display thousands of individual light frequencies simultaneously.
The method uses an ultrafast laser emitting a continuous train of very brief, closely spaced pulses of light. By passing the light through a filter and spatially separating it with glass plates and metal gratings, the researchers created a grid-like output that was recorded by a digital camera. This allowed them to capture 2D images of the frequency comb’s spectrum.
The new technique could enable more precise control of individual frequencies in high-bandwidth communications, boosting the power of surveillance, remote sensing, trace gas detection, and high-speed computing systems. It could also enable the “ultimate” in precision control of atoms and molecules, a valuable tool in many areas of science.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2007/02/first-2d-pictures-frequency-comb-transform-it-brush
Keywords: Frequency Combs, Optical Atomic Clocks, High-Bandwidth Communications, Precision Control of Atoms and Molecules, Spectral Resolution
