Dual-mode CO2-laser/microwave-sideband spectrometer with broadband and saturation dip detection for CH3OH

Abstract

This work reports dual-mode operation of a broadly tunable CO2-laser/microwave-sideband spectrometer employing a Cheo waveguide modulator and a CO2 laser that can operate on hot and sequence band lines as well as low- and high-J regular band lines. The spectrometer has a broadband scanning mode at Doppler-limited resolution for spectral searching and assignment, and a narrow-band sub-Doppler mode for precision measurements. In broadband mode, a 6.7–18.5 GHz (∼0.4 cm−1) window can be covered for each sideband in a single microwave sweep with a tracking Fabry–Perot etalon filter under computer control. In sub-Doppler mode, saturation-dip spectra are obtained at sub-MHz resolution with absolute frequency measurement accuracy of the order of ±200 kHz. The instrumental performance is demonstrated via spectra of the C–O stretching fundamental vibrational band of methanol. Doppler-limited broadband scans have been recorded with good signal-to-noise ratio in both the low- and high-J regions of the 9.6-μm-CO2 laser band, while narrow-band sub-Doppler scans have permitted clean separation of very close-lying lines in the CH3OH spectrum. The measurement precision is confirmed for several CH3OH transition systems through closure of combination loops. Our results illustrate the wide coverage and excellent resolution obtainable with CO2-sideband infrared laser radiation in a broadly tunable and convenient infrared source with high potential for spectroscopic applications.