Dual-comb spectroscopy from terahertz to petahertz and beyond
- Physics and Astronomy Colloquium
April 24, 2026 3:30 PM -
April 24, 2026 4:30 PM
PAIS 1100
- Host:
- Denis Seletskiy
- Presenter:
- Konstantin Vodopyanov (CREOL)
Dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) is a powerful technique that exploits mutual coherence of laser frequency combs to enable high-resolution spectroscopic measurements referenced to an atomic clock.
By interfering two broadband combs with slightly different comb-line spacing, DCS provides rapid, multiplexed access to precise spectral information.
Using field-resolved electro-optic sampling in the mid-IR to THz domain, we achieve enhanced dynamic range and video-rate acquisition of up to 250,000 spectral data points per measurement.
Overall, our DCS platform spans the THz to deep ultraviolet region, delivering unprecedented accuracy and spectral resolution of a few MHz, with the potential to reach the Hz level through comb shifting and spectral interleaving.
Looking ahead, we aim to extend DCS into the vacuum ultraviolet, opening new frontiers in precision spectroscopy.
This would enable exploration of exotic low-energy nuclear transitions — such as the isomeric transition at 148 nm in thorium-229, – a leading candidate for a future frequency standard based on a nuclear, rather than an electronic, transition.
About Konstantin L. Vodopyanov
Konstantin L. Vodopyanov obtained his MS from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (“Phys-Tech”) and his PhD and DSc (Habilitation) from the Oscillations Lab. of Lebedev Physical Institute (later General Physics Inst.), led by Nobel Prize winner Alexander Prokhorov. Konstantin served an assistant professor at the Moscow Phys-Tech (1985-90), an Alexander-von-Humboldt Fellow at the University of Bayreuth in Germany (1990-92), and as a Royal Society postdoctoral fellow and lecturer at Imperial College, London, UK (1992-98). In 1998, he moved to the United States and became head of the laser group at Inrad, Inc., NJ (1998-2000), and later director of mid-IR systems at Picarro, Inc.,CA (2000-2003). His other industry experience includes co-founding and providing technical guidance for several US and European companies. In 2003 he returned to Academia (Stanford University, 2003-2013) and is now a 21st Century Scholar Chair & Professor of Optics at CREOL, College of Optics & Photonics, Univ. Central Florida. Dr. Vodopyanov is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), Optical Society of America (OSA), SPIE – International Society for Optical Engineering, UK Institute of Physics (IOP). He has > 350 technical publications and is member of program committees for several major laser conferences including CLEO (most recent, General Chair in 2010) and Photonics West (Conference Chair). His research interests include nonlinear optics, mid-IR and terahertz-wave generation, ultra broadband frequency combs and their spectroscopic and biomedical applications.
