Probing molecules in gas cells of subwavelength thickness with high frequency resolution

Nat. Commun. 15, 1862 (2024) · DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45830-x · arXiv: 2403.03604

License: CC BY 4.0.

Abstract

Miniaturizing and integrating atomic vapor cells is widely investigated for the purposes of fundamental measurements and technological applications such as quantum sensing. Extending such platforms to the realm of molecular physics is a fascinating prospect that paves the way for compact frequency metrology as well as for exploring light-matter interactions with complex quantum objects. Here, we perform molecular rovibrational spectroscopy in a thin-cell of micrometric thickness, comparable to excitation wavelengths. We operate the cell in two distinct regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, probing ν1 + ν3 resonances of acetylene at 1.530 µm, within the telecommunications wavelength range, as well as the ν3 and ν2 resonances of SF6 and NH3 respectively, in the mid-infrared fingerprint region around 10.55 µm. Thin-cell confinement allows linear sub-Doppler transmission spectroscopy due to the coherent Dicke narrowing effect, here demonstrated for molecular rovibrations. Our experiment can find applications extending to the fields of compact molecular frequency references, atmospheric physics or fundamental precision measurements.

Figures

4 panels with data across 2 figures. Each panel page shows the plot, its columns and its files; each data.csv begins with a header naming the paper, the panel, the source, the license and the provenance route.

Fig. 1

The underlying data is not available. The figure is shown in the paper PDF.

Fig. 2

Illustrative figure, no extractable data. Shown in the paper PDF.

Fig. 3

• panel (a): Normalized FM transmission $T_\mathrm{FM}/T_o$ against frequency detuning $\delta$ (MHz) for acetylene at 0.65, 1.4 and 3 Torr, $L = 5.35\,\mu$m, with theory curves computed here from the paper's thin-cell model, fitted to each spectrum. Stacked as printed: 1.4 and 3 Torr shifted up by the printed offsets (unshifted values in the data file). Dashed lines: each zero and $\delta = 0$. data.csv
• panel (b): Normalized FM transmission $T_\mathrm{FM}/T_o$ against detuning $\delta$ (MHz) for acetylene at 1.4 Torr for $L = 5.27$, 5.41, $5.50\,\mu$m, with theory curves ($\Gamma = 16$ MHz) computed here from the paper's thin-cell model, fitted to each spectrum. Stacked as printed: 5.41 and 5.50 shifted up by the printed offsets (unshifted values in the data file). Dashed lines: each zero and $\delta = 0$. data.csv

Fig. 4

• panel (a): Normalized thin-cell FM transmission $10^6\,T_\mathrm{FM}/T_o$ against frequency detuning $\delta$ (MHz) for 35 mTorr of SF$_6$, detuning referenced on the Q62E, Q62A2, Q62F2 triplet near $\delta = 0$. The printed theoretical fit is not included. data.csv
• panel (b): Normalized thin-cell FM transmission $10^6\,T_\mathrm{FM}/T_o$ against frequency detuning $\delta$ (MHz) for 31 mTorr of NH$_3$ on the saP(1,0) rovibration, with dotted lines at the hyperfine transition positions $-1.8$, 0 and 1.2 MHz. The printed 94 mTorr spectrum, the fits and the level-diagram inset are not included. data.csv

Fig. 5

The underlying data is not available. The figure is shown in the paper PDF.

Cite

Guadalupe Garcia Arellano, Joao Carlos de Aquino Carvalho, Hippolyte Mouhanna, Esther Butery, Thierry Billeton, Frederic Du-Burck, Benoit Darquié, Isabelle Maurin, Athanasios Laliotis. Probing molecules in gas cells of subwavelength thickness with high frequency resolution. Nat. Commun. 15, 1862 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45830-x

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