Mid-infrared frequency comb for broadband high precision and sensitivity molecular spectroscopy

We report on the experimental demonstration of the metrological and spectroscopic performances of a mid-infrared comb generated by a nonlinear downconversion process from a Ti:sapphire-based near-infrared comb. A quantum cascade laser at 4330 nm was phase-locked to a single tooth of this mid-infrared comb and its frequency-noise power spectral density was measured. The mid-infrared comb itself was also used as a multifrequency highly coherent source to perform ambient air direct comb spectroscopy with the Vernier technique, by demultiplexing it with a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America