Absolute frequency metrology of buffer-gas-cooled molecular spectra at 1 kHz accuracy level

Year: 2022

Authors: Aiello R., Di Sarno V., Santi MGD., De Rosa M., Ricciardi I., De Natale P., Santamaria L., Giusfredi G., Maddaloni P.

Autors Affiliation: CNR, Ist Nazl Ott, Via Campi Flegrei 34, I-80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; Ist Nazl Fis Nucl, Sez Napoli, Complesso Univ MS Angelo, Via Cintia, I-80126 Naples, Italy; CNR, Ist Nazl Ott, Lgo E Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Ctr Geodesia Spaziale, I-75100 Contrada Terlecchia, Matera, Italy; ppqSense Srl, Via Gattinella 20, I-50013 Campi Bisenzio, Italy.

Abstract: By reducing both the internal and translational temperature of any species down to a few kelvins, the buffer-gas-cooling (BGC) technique has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of ro-vibrational molecular spectra, thus offering unique opportunities for transition frequency measurements with unprecedented accuracy. However, the difficulty in integrating metrological-grade spectroscopic tools into bulky cryogenic equipment has hitherto prevented from approaching the kHz level even in the best cases. Here, we overcome this drawback by an original opto-mechanical scheme which, effectively coupling a Lamb-dip saturated-absorption cavity ring-down spectrometer to a BGC source, allows us to determine the absolute frequency of the acetylene (nu(1) + nu(3)) R(1)e transition at 6561.0941 cm(-1) with a fractional uncertainty as low as 6 x 10(-12). By improving the previous record with buffer-gas-cooled molecules by one order of magnitude, our approach paves the way for a number of ultra-precise low-temperature spectroscopic studies, aimed at both fundamental Physics tests and optimized laser cooling strategies. High-resolution molecular spectroscopy with cryogenic setups is hampered by the lack of a skilled interrogation tool. Here, the authors demonstrate absolute metrology of cold rovibrational spectra at 1 kHz accuracy level, by coupling a Lamb-dip saturated-absorption cavity ring-down spectrometer to a buffer-gas cooling source.

Journal/Review: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

Volume: 13 (1)      Pages from: 7016-1  to: 7016-7

More Information: The authors acknowledge financial support by Project SUPREMO, funded by Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), and by Progetto ECrops Tecnologie per l’Agricoltura Digitale Sostenibile ARS01_01136.
KeyWords: Mu-m; Spectroscopy; Comb; Transition; Cold; Stabilization; Absorption; Line
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34758-9

Citations: 14
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