Comb-locked cavity-assisted double-resonance molecular spectroscopy based on diode lasers.

Abstract

Interactions between a molecule and two or more laser fields are of great interest in various studies, but weak and highly overlapping transitions hinder precision measurements. We present the method of comb-locked cavity-assisted double resonance spectroscopy based on narrow-linewidth continuous-wave lasers, which allows for state-selective pumping and probing of molecules. By locking two near-infrared diode lasers to one cavity with a finesse at the order of 105, we measured all three types of double resonances. Carbon monoxide molecules with selected speeds along the laser beam were excited to vibrationally excited states, and absorption spectra with sub-MHz linewidths were observed. Positions of double resonance transitions were determined with an accuracy of 3.7 kHz, which was verified by comparing to Lamb-dip measurements. The present work paves the way to the pump-probe study of highly excited molecules with unprecedented precision.