PHOTON SCIENCE

Description

Frequency combs are key building blocks enabling the most precise measurements ever carried out by mankind. For examplke, they are used to build the most precise clocks, so called atomic clocks and enable to measure the tinyest variations of time when a clock is moved by ony a few centimer within the graviational field of the earth. Todays comb lasers operate in the infrared or visible spectral regime enabling to realize optical atomic clocks. Recent advances suggest the possibility to push the clock precision even further by building nuclear clocks, precise time keepers that use a a low-energy nuclear transition as for example the low-ebergy transition in 229-Thorium as frequency reference. In order to enable this advance, a frequency comb emitting vacuum ultravioet light at about 148 nm and at highest power spectral density is required.

This project targets the development of a high average power frequency comb covering spectral regions reaching into the vacuum – or even extreme ultraviolet. For this purpose, we use an in-house developed high-average power inrared frequency comb laser and convert this laser into the ultraviolet using advanced frequency conversion schemes.