Measuring Far-Infrared Laser Frequencies from Optically Pumped CH318OH

Presenter Information

Clarissa Gerke
Jose Barajas

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Campus where you would like to present

SURC 140

Start Date

21-5-2015

End Date

21-5-2015

Keywords

Far-infrared Emission Frequencies, Lasers, Spectroscopy

Abstract

Far-infrared radiation, defined as having wavelengths from approximately 0.025 mm to 2 mm, has applications in many disciplines including astronomy and spectroscopy. These advances and subsequent applications have become possible through the research performed with far-infrared lasers that includes the discovery and classification of viable far-infrared emissions from various lasing media. Over the last few years, undergraduate students at Central Washington University have used a recently constructed optically pumped molecular laser system to generate more than 600 far-infrared laser emissions, about half of which have been measured solely by wavelength. Last year, this optically pumped molecular laser system was incorporated into a heterodyne, or frequency mixing, system consisting of two additional carbon dioxide (CO2) reference lasers and their respective stabilization systems. With this heterodyne system, the laser emissions generated by a number of different laser media have been further characterized by measuring their frequency. This presentation will focus on the process of using the heterodyne system to search for and measure far-infrared laser frequencies, as well as how these frequencies are used in the spectroscopic assignment of far-infrared laser emissions as applied to the CH318OH methanol isotopologue.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Michael Jackson

Department/Program

Physics

Additional Mentoring Department

Physics

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
May 21st, 12:00 PM May 21st, 12:20 PM

Measuring Far-Infrared Laser Frequencies from Optically Pumped CH318OH

SURC 140

Far-infrared radiation, defined as having wavelengths from approximately 0.025 mm to 2 mm, has applications in many disciplines including astronomy and spectroscopy. These advances and subsequent applications have become possible through the research performed with far-infrared lasers that includes the discovery and classification of viable far-infrared emissions from various lasing media. Over the last few years, undergraduate students at Central Washington University have used a recently constructed optically pumped molecular laser system to generate more than 600 far-infrared laser emissions, about half of which have been measured solely by wavelength. Last year, this optically pumped molecular laser system was incorporated into a heterodyne, or frequency mixing, system consisting of two additional carbon dioxide (CO2) reference lasers and their respective stabilization systems. With this heterodyne system, the laser emissions generated by a number of different laser media have been further characterized by measuring their frequency. This presentation will focus on the process of using the heterodyne system to search for and measure far-infrared laser frequencies, as well as how these frequencies are used in the spectroscopic assignment of far-infrared laser emissions as applied to the CH318OH methanol isotopologue.