A single laser can now peek at two different 'sides' of a molecule at the exact same time.
Usually, seeing how a molecule vibrates and how it rotates requires two separate, expensive experiments. This new method captures both signatures simultaneously, providing a complete '3D' chemical picture in a fraction of the time.
Simultaneous Acquisition of High-Resolution Rovibrational and Rotational Molecular Spectra via Dual-Frequency-Comb Spectroscopy: The Case of Ammonia
SSRN · 6537446
High-resolution (MHz-level) laser spectroscopy has traditionally been confined to specific spectral regions—terahertz, infrared, visible, or ultraviolet—each requiring distinct laser sources. We demonstrate high-resolution frequency-comb laser spectroscopy combined with electro-optic sampling that simultaneously covers two spectral bands, each spanning more than an octave, in the mid-infrared (MIR: 350–1150 cm-1; 8.7–28.5 µm; 10.5–34.5 THz) and terahertz (THz: 80–160 cm-1; 62.5–125 µm; 2.4–4.8 T