Tuneable dual-comb spectrometer based on commercial femtosecond lasers and reference cell for optical frequency calibration

Abstract

Two commercial femtosecond laser sources have been used to implement a dual-comb spectrometer tuneable across a spectral range from 1.5 to 2.2 ?m. The optical linewidth of the comb modes was characterized for different time scales in order to estimate the achievable spectral resolution for an optimal acquisition time. The transmission spectra of three different gas samples were recorded, demonstrating good agreement with reference data. Frequency axis calibration was provided via the parallel monitoring of a reference sample. This technique allows an accurate calibration of the frequency axis of the spectrometer, with no need for stabilization or optical referencing of the frequency combs. Our set-up represents a good compromise for a compact and versatile dual-comb spectrometer based on commercially available parts with possible applications in trace-gas monitoring, remote sensing and spectroscopy of short-lived processes.