Plasma Physics Seminar (Phys 769)

Dr. Jared Wahlstrand, IREAP Quantum noise limits in femtosecond frequency combs The optical spectrum of a mode-locked laser is a "comb" of sharp lines which is extremely useful for referencing radio frequencies to optical frequencies and vice versa. The development of femtosecond frequency combs based on phase-controlled, mode-locked lasers has revolutionized ultrafast science and atomic frequency standards, leading to the awarding of the Nobel prize to Hansch and Hall in 2005. I'll review femtosecond frequency combs and their applications and describe a series of experiments aimed at quantitatively understanding the fundamental quantum limits due to spontaneous emission. Return to main page