Direct frequency comb measurements of absolute optical frequencies and population transfer dynamics

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Jul 8;95(2):023001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.023001. Epub 2005 Jul 6.

Abstract

A phase-stabilized femtosecond laser comb is directly used for high-resolution spectroscopy and absolute optical frequency measurements of one- and two-photon transitions in laser-cooled 87Rb atoms. Absolute atomic transition frequencies, such as the 5S1/2 F=2-->7S1/2 F"=2 two-photon resonance measured at 788,794 768,921 (44) kHz, are determined without a priori knowledge about their values. Detailed dynamics of population transfer driven by a sequence of pulses are uncovered and taken into account for the measurement of the 5P states via resonantly enhanced two-photon transitions.