New electronic implementation of the timestamps method intended for high resolution comparison of laser wavelengths

Javier Diz-Bugarín; Ismael Outumuro-González; José Benito Vázquez-Dorrío; Jesús Blanco-García; José Luis Valencia-Álvarez

doi:10.1063/5.0127075

New electronic implementation of the timestamps method intended for high resolution comparison of laser wavelengths

Rev Sci Instrum. 2023 Sep 1;94(9):093003. doi: 10.1063/5.0127075.

Authors

Javier Diz-Bugarín¹, Ismael Outumuro-González², José Benito Vázquez-Dorrío¹, Jesús Blanco-García¹, José Luis Valencia-Álvarez²

Affiliations

¹ Applied Physics Department, University of Vigo, Lagoas Marcosende s/n, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
² Laboratorio Oficial de Metroloxía de Galicia (LOMG), Parque Tecnolóxico de Galicia, 32901 Ourense, Spain.

PMID: 37712775
DOI: 10.1063/5.0127075

Abstract

This article describes a new measurement system for the comparison of two electronic signals of different frequencies with application to high resolution comparison of laser wavelengths using a Michelson interferometer. It was built within the framework of research projects made by the University of Vigo and the Laboratorio Oficial de Metroloxía de Galicia (LOMG) in cooperation with Escolas Proval High School. The new hardware is based on a cheap high-speed module for the acquisition of data and a microcontroller module for processing, which can also be used for practical lessons in vocational training. The system has been tested with electronic signal generators. The novel measurement method reduces the uncertainty using multiple consecutive measurements and the fractional part of the fringes and could achieve precisions in the range 10-12 of the wavelength ratios.