Summary of the invention
The object of the invention is, according to above-mentioned the deficiencies in the prior art part, to provide a kind of spectral measurement based on optical frequency com and method, this measuring method utilizes a time domain and the controlled optical frequency com of frequency domain to realize two light comb spectrographic detection.
The object of the invention realizes being completed by following technical scheme:
A kind of spectral measurement method based on optical frequency com, relate to testing sample, it is characterized in that described measuring method at least comprises the steps: employing time domain and the controlled optical frequency com I of frequency domain, the a part of optical signal modulation exported loop laser resonance cavity be made up of phase-modulator, makes described loop laser resonance cavity become the stable optical frequency com of repetition frequency II.
Respectively the Output of laser of described optical frequency com I, II is carried out beam splitting; A part of Output of laser of described optical frequency com I and II is done beat frequency with continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers respectively, obtains the difference frequency signal f of the carrier envelope phase drift frequency information carrying described optical frequency com I
error; Another part Output of laser of described optical frequency com I enters after sample cell measures described testing sample as detection light and enters detecting module again, another part Output of laser of described optical frequency com II directly enters described detecting module as with reference to light simultaneously, the interference signal f ' both described detecting module exports; By described difference frequency signal f
errordo mixing with described interference signal f ', to be balanced out by the frequency instability produced by described optical frequency com II in described interference signal f ', obtain spectral signal f
signal, then by described spectral signal f
signalcarry out Fourier transform analysis, reduce the optical characteristics of described testing sample.
Described optical frequency com II, namely described loop laser resonance cavity is made up of laser pumping source, phase-modulator, gain fibre, wavelength division multiplexer and coupling output device, wherein said phase-modulator, gain fibre, wavelength division multiplexer and coupling output device successively head and the tail connect and compose loop, and described laser pumping source is connected with described wavelength division multiplexer; Be provided with between described optical frequency com II and described optical frequency com I beam splitter, photodetector, frequency divider and and frequently components and parts, described and frequency components and parts are connected with described phase-modulator.
The laser exported by described optical frequency com I carries out beam splitting through described beam splitter, chooses a wherein road laser and detects its repetition frequency signal by described photodetector, and its fundamental frequency signal of leaching fr
1, by described fundamental frequency signal fr
1a part input described frequency divider, to obtain difference signal f
Δ, wherein f
Δ=fr
1/ n, n are frequency division multiple; Described difference signal f afterwards
Δwith described fundamental frequency signal fr
1another part together input described and components and parts frequently, produce the repetition frequency modulation signal of superposition value as described optical frequency com II of two frequencies, load on the described phase-modulator of described optical frequency com II, the laser that described laser pumping source exports simultaneously enters in described loop laser resonance cavity by described wavelength division multiplexer, described phase-modulator utilizes the laser of described repetition frequency modulation signal to input to modulate, and produces with fr
2=fr
1+ f
Δfor the sideband signals at interval, then through the repeatedly gain of described gain fibre and vibration, form the frequency comb that repetition frequency is fixing, export repetition frequency fr by described coupling output device
2=fr
1+ f
Δ, make the output repetition frequency of described optical frequency com I and described optical frequency com II have difference f
Δ.
The beat signal f that a part of Output of laser of optical frequency com I described in leaching and described continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers beat frequency produce
beat1, a part of Output of laser of described continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers beam splitting and described optical frequency com II is carried out beat frequency simultaneously, and the beat signal f that described in leaching, optical frequency com II produces with described continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers with the comb at described optical frequency com I same position place
beat2; Afterwards by described beat signal f
beat1and f
beat2carry out difference frequency detection, obtain difference frequency signal f
error=| f
beat1-f
beat2|.
Advantage of the present invention is:
(1) the present invention is in the process realizing two light comb spectral measurement, only needs a precision locking optical frequency com being carried out to time-domain and frequency-domain, namely can complete the structure of two light comb system, thus greatly reduce volume and the maintenance difficulties of whole system; Meanwhile, because the development of electricity component is comparatively ripe, the method can reduce the economic cost of system;
(2) second light comb flexible structure of the present invention, as long as all can system requirements be met based on the mode-locked laser of active modulation technique, therefore frequency modulation procedure can be completed by components and parts comparatively common on the market such as electrooptic modulator, acousto-optic modulator, the structure of loop laser resonance cavity can be selected full fiber type laser instrument or have the blocks of solid laser instrument of space structure;
(3) simple, the flexible operation of the generation mechanism of two light comb system repetition frequency difference in the present invention, stability is high; Or exocoel long with traditional adjustment laser chamber scan piezoceramics crystal with compared with the method producing the minute differences of repetition frequency, and the present invention only need detect with photodetector the repetition frequency signal fr that First light combs
1, and coordinate electricity and frequency and frequency splitting technology, by the fr of synthesis
1+ fr
1/ n loads on the phase-modulator of second light comb as modulation signal, can realize the accurate output of second light comb repetition frequency; Meanwhile, because the output repetition frequency of First light comb has high stability, therefore the repetition frequency of second optical frequency com is also locked control;
(4) the present invention's frequency instability of light being combed system by with continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers beat frequency, and the mode of a leaching wherein beat signal is transmitted out; The interference signal that this signal and two light comb effect sample obtain is done mixing to comb self and shake to offset light the error brought spectrographic detection, thus avoiding the locking of the carrier envelope phase drift frequency to second optical frequency com, whole operating process is simple;
(5) spectral measurement method that combines with cavity reinforced absorption spectrum, Fourier trasform spectroscopy of two optical frequency com technology, compared to other spectral measurement methodses, measuring system is without the need to any Mechanical Moving, and measuring speed is faster, and spectral resolution, signal to noise ratio (S/N ratio) are higher;
(6) the full spectrum that two optical frequency com spectral technique can utilize light to comb is measured, and be similar to the narrow-linewidth laser using numerous frequency and phase stabilization, and its spectral resolution is limited to the live width of single comb, usually in KHz extremely sub-hertz magnitude;
(7) optical frequency com system can realize the high power optical frequency comb of average power at tens supreme hectowatts by the optical amplifier of single-stage or company's level, the single pulse energy of its every root comb is higher, can have measurement compared with completing when low-repetition-frequency spectrum in the pulse of optical frequency com seed source; Meanwhile, the frequency domain that high power optical frequency comb is conducive to realizing light comb is widened, and output light bands light can combed is expanded to covering ultraviolet, visible and infrared relative broad range, thus realizes the spectral measurement to different material, widens application of the present invention.
Embodiment
Feature of the present invention and other correlated characteristic are described in further detail by embodiment below in conjunction with accompanying drawing, so that the understanding of technician of the same trade:
As Fig. 1-3, mark 1-30 in figure to be respectively: optical frequency com 1, optical frequency com 2, beam splitter 3, photodetector 4, frequency divider 5, crystal oscillator 6, with frequency components and parts 7, wavelength division multiplexer 8, gain fibre 9, phase-modulator 10, coupling output device 11, testing sample 12, spectral detection device 13, data acquisition module 14, continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers transmitter module 15, light comb and continuous laser beat signal processing module 16, electricity mixing and filtering module 17, Fourier transform analyser 18, optical frequency com 19, optical frequency com seed source 20, continuous frequency stabilized laser 21, photonic crystal fiber 22, variable band-pass filter 23, polaroid 24, polarization beam apparatus 25, hydrone sample cell 26, infrared band semi-transparent semi-reflecting lens 27, infrared band total reflective mirror 28, the beat frequency of light comb and continuous laser and signal leaching module 29, the beat frequency of light comb and continuous laser and signal leaching module 30,
Wherein LD is laser pumping source.
Embodiment one: the present embodiment is specifically related to a kind of spectral measurement method based on optical frequency com, first this measuring method utilizes a time domain and the controlled optical frequency com of frequency domain initiatively to modulate a loop laser resonance cavity based on phase-modulator, become second optical frequency com with this optical frequency com with repetition frequency minute differences, and carry out two light comb spectrographic detection, obtain the interference signal carrying testing sample information; Simultaneously, these two optical frequency coms carry out beat frequency with continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers respectively, difference frequency signal and this interference signal of two beat signals obtained carry out mixing, and the signal that obtains of detection mixing carries out Fourier analysis as spectral signal, to reduce the optical information of testing sample.
As shown in Figure 1, the process accurately being controlled the output repetition frequency of second optical frequency com 2 by First optical frequency com 1 is as follows:
The laser launched by optical frequency com 1 carries out beam splitting through beam splitter 3, chooses a wherein road laser and detects its repetition frequency signal by photodetector 4, and its fundamental frequency signal of leaching fr
1, by a part for this fundamental frequency signal input frequency divider 5, obtain the difference signal f of frequency in radio-frequency range
Δ(wherein f
Δ=fr
1/ n, n are frequency division multiple), then drive crystal oscillator 6 with this signal, make it produce stable frequency signal f
Δ; f
Δsignal and fundamental frequency signal fr
1another part signal together input electricity and frequently element 7, produce the repetition frequency modulation signal of superposition value as second optical frequency com 2 of two frequencies, load on the phase-modulator 10 of optical frequency com 2, making the loop laser resonance cavity of optical frequency com 2 produce repetition frequency is fr
2=fr
1+ f
Δstable pulse sequence.The repetition frequency signal of second optical frequency com 2 that method controls thus has identical degree of stability with the repetition frequency signal of First optical frequency com 1, is all controlled by extraneous standard frequency source, and the frequency values f of both differences
Δalso there is absolute stable feature.
As shown in Figure 2, as follows by the process of electricity mixing schemes raising spectral measurement precision:
First, the Output of laser of the First optical frequency com 1 of repetition frequency and carrier envelope phase frequency precise hard_drawn tuhes is carried out beam splitting, one fraction of laser light enters after sample cell measures testing sample 12 as the detection light of two light comb spectroscopic system and enters spectral detection device 13 again, the laser that another part laser and continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers transmitter module 15 are launched does beat frequency, obtains beat signal f
beat1; Simultaneously, the Output of laser of second optical frequency com 2 only locking repetition frequency is carried out beam splitting, one fraction of laser light directly enters spectral detection device 13 as with reference to light, the laser that another part laser adopts same procedure and continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers transmitter module 15 to launch does beat frequency, obtains beat signal f
beat2.
Thereafter, initial interference signal f ' is obtained by spectral detection device 13 and data acquisition module 14, due in light comb system, the carrier envelope phase drift frequency of second optical frequency com 2 without locking, therefore carries the carrier envelope phase drift information of sample spectra information and optical frequency com 2 simultaneously in this f ' signal.Meanwhile, beat signal f is produced by light comb with continuous laser beat signal processing module 16
beat1with beat signal f
beat2error signal f
error=| f
beat1-f
beat2|, due to f
beat1signal absolute stability, therefore the carrier envelope phase drift information of optical frequency com 2 passes through f
beat2transmission gives error signal f
error.
Finally, due to f ' and f
errorcontain identical being combed by second light and cause frequency drift amount, therefore two signals are done mixing by electricity mixing and filtering module 17, the mode of frequency instability by electricity is balanced out, the spectral signal f obtained
signal, then by Fourier transform analyser 18, the information of testing sample absorption line can be obtained.The error that the inexactness that this method has stopped survey instrument is brought to results of spectral measurements, measures from high resolving power, the pin-point accuracy realizing spectrum.
Be below the specific descriptions to device mentioned in above steps:
As shown in Figure 1, optical frequency com 1(and comb of First time-frequency domain precise hard_drawn tuhes
1) be the requirement that the present embodiment realizes two light comb spectral measurement, the control procedure of optical frequency com mainly refers to that accurate its repetition frequency signal of locking and carrier envelope phase drift frequency signal are on extraneous standard signal source, and this signal source comprises commercially standard atomic clock module, atomic transition spectral line or the continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers of super-narrow line width etc.Be provided with between optical frequency com 1 and optical frequency com 2 beam splitter 3, photodetector 4, frequency divider 5, crystal oscillator 6 and and frequently components and parts 7, be connected with optical frequency com 2 with frequency components and parts 7, beam splitter 3 and the photodetector 4 of corresponding wave band need be selected according to the centre wavelength of optical frequency com output spectrum, detect the repetition frequency signal of the First optical frequency com 1 obtained, according to the fundamental frequency signal f of repetition frequency
r1concrete numerical value determination frequency divider 5, crystal oscillator 6 with and the center response frequency of element 7 and bandwidth frequently, to suppress the electronic noise of system, improve detection accuracy.
As shown in Figure 1, second optical frequency com 2(and comb2) be active mode laser instrument based on phase-modulator 10, it can select all optical fibre structure, semispace half optical fiber structure or blocks of solid laser instrument, the pumping laser that laser pumping source LD exports enters in loop laser resonance cavity by wavelength division multiplexer 8, loop laser resonance cavity is primarily of wavelength division multiplexer 8, gain fibre 9, phase-modulator 10 and coupling output device 11 form, wherein gain fibre 9 can be selected to mix ytterbium according to the centre frequency of spectral measurement system, the optical fiber of er-doped or other rare earth ions that adulterate or bulk crystals.Modulated by the frequency of phase-modulator 10 to input laser, produce with fr
2=fr
1+ f
Δfor the sideband signals at interval, then through the gain of loop laser resonance cavity and multiple oscillation, form the frequency comb that repetition frequency is fixing, exported by coupling output device 11; The selection of coupling output device 11 can according to the fiber optic splitter of the corresponding wave band of the structure choice of laser instrument or the Space Coupling mirror with certain transmittance.
As shown in Figure 1, optical frequency com 1 and optical frequency com 2 all have main output port, to carry out the work such as follow-up laser frequency territory expansion, continuous laser beat frequency and spectrographic detection.
As shown in Figure 2, testing sample 12 can present gaseous state, liquid state or the multiple physical state such as solid-state, in measuring process, and can the centre wavelength that exports of the approximate location determination optical frequency com system at optical absorption peak per sample; Meanwhile, for obtaining the optical information of sample in wider frequency range, can coordinate and the output spectrum of optical frequency com is widened.
As shown in Figure 2, optical frequency com 1 detects as in the direct incident testing sample 12 of flashlight, the output light of optical frequency com 2 as with reference to light without testing sample 12, for whole detection system provides signal reference and the normalization foundation in data handling procedure, the effect of spectral detection device 13 is to detect the interference signal that flashlight and reference light beat frequency produce, it shows as the irregular peak signal of whole amplitude envelops lower limb on frequency domain, thus reflects the absorbing state of testing sample 12 pairs of incident lasers.Spectral detection device 13 can be made up of the avalanche photodetector of the two or more corresponding wave band built voluntarily, and corresponding control circui also can be coordinated to form by balanced detector commercially.
As shown in Figure 2, data acquisition module 14 is to realize the part of spectrum data gathering and control in conjunction with computing machine and special test software and hardware product, different types of data collecting card can be selected according to the measuring accuracy of different two light comb spectroscopic system, realize flexibly, data record accurately, obtain initial optical interference signal f '.
As shown in Figure 2, first continuous Frequency Stabilized Lasers transmitter module 15 needs to meet its continuous laser exported has fabulous single longitudinal mode characteristic and have super-narrow line width in frequency field, this obtains light comb to stablize beat signal basis with continuous laser, is also the basic demand that spectral measurement system improves detection accuracy; Secondly, the output wavelength of continuous laser will match with the output center wavelength of optical frequency com 1 and 2, to ensure that light comb has ideal signal to noise ratio (S/N ratio) with beat signal during its beat frequency, the amplitude of this signal on spectrum analyzer generally need be made to be greater than 25dB.In the process that whole system builds, a part of laser of continuous laser beam splitting being obtained can be selected to control its time-frequency domain precision as the standard frequency source of First optical frequency com 1, the complicacy of system can be reduced so further, improve stability and the compactedness of device.
As shown in Figure 2, light comb generally comprises the elements such as photodetector, wave filter and frequency mixer with continuous laser beat signal processing module 16, its Main Function is detection and two beat signals producing with continuous laser respectively of two comb being positioned at same position in leaching two optical frequency coms, and by these two beat signal mixing, obtain difference frequency signal f
error; Wherein photodetector generally uses avalanche photodide, and the selection of wave filter need be determined according to the frequency range at beat signal place, and bandwidth is generally at about 10MHz, and frequency mixer need have the good speed of response and noise suppression feature.
As shown in Figure 2, the effect of electricity mixing and filtering module 17 is above-mentioned interference signal f ' and difference frequency signal f
errordifference frequency is done in mixing, to offset the frequency instability of light comb system, obtains spectral signal f to be restored
signal.
As shown in Figure 2, the effect of Fourier transform analyser 18 is that the spectral signal of the radio-frequency range obtained is reduced into time-domain signal, to read and the relevant optical properties analyzing testing sample.
Embodiment two: as shown in Figure 3, the present embodiment is specifically related to a kind of method adopting Near-infrared Double light to comb systematic survey hydrone absorption spectrum, and concrete steps are as follows:
(1) one of a stabilized light source Er-doped fiber optical frequency com 19 being combed spectrum investigating system as two light, its output center wavelength is near 1550nm, and average power is in 1W magnitude, and pulse width is at about 100fs, and the mean value of repetition frequency is 250MHz; This optical frequency com is locked on the continuous frequency stabilized laser 21 of super-narrow line width by servo feedback Circuits System, the high spectral line precision that the external world is produced by atomic transition can be delivered in optical frequency com system.
(2) based on the cavity structure of the Er-doped fiber optical frequency com seed source 20 of phase-modulator as the comb in Fig. 1
2shown in module, wherein laser pumping source LD adopts 980nm optical fiber output type semiconductor laser, by the optical fibre wavelength division multiplexer 8 of 980/1550nm by coupling pump light in loop laser resonance cavity, gain media adopts the single-mode fiber of er-doped, and its gain coefficient is about 70dB/m; Meanwhile, can, by increasing the dispersion compensating fiber management intra-cavity dispersion of 1550nm wave band in chamber, make this optical frequency com seed source 20 output time width in the ultrashort pulse sequence of about 100fs.
(3) electrooptic modulator based on lithium columbate crystal is adopted based on the phase-modulator in the Er-doped fiber optical frequency com seed source 20 of phase-modulator, utilize the nonlinear optical properties of lithium columbate crystal to complete to modulate the active of loop laser resonance cavity repetition frequency, the production method of modulating frequency as previously mentioned, according to the precise signal fr that First optical frequency com 19 produces
1initiatively modulate second optical frequency com seed source 20 and export the pulse of light and pulsed frequency is spaced apart fr
2=fr
1+ f
Δ; The equal presentation space light state of Output of laser of two optical frequency coms.
(4) in the process utilizing two light comb systematic survey hydrone sample absorption spectrum, first by the frequency domain broadening module of the output light of optical frequency com 19 and optical frequency com seed source 20 input based on photonic crystal fiber 22, the frequency range that the optical frequency com that its object is to wavelength to be positioned at 1550nm covers is widened as much as possible, to collect the optical characteristics that sample represents at different frequency range; Simultaneously, by the parameter such as polarization state, peak power, pulse width of Reasonable adjustment photonic crystal fiber 22 incident light, two optical frequency coms are made to have more consistent output spectrum distribution, this is conducive to the coverage and the precision that improve the radio-frequency spectrum produced in two light comb spectrographic detection, thus affects the quality of results of spectral measurements.
(5) for improving the degree of accuracy of spectral measurement, usually will through frequency domain broadening two-way light comb laser respectively by variable band-pass filter 23, by spectral range segmentation wider for optical frequency com, detect through sample successively, then the results of spectral measurements of different frequency range is combined the whole test pattern of reduction.The centre wavelength of variable band-pass filter 23 should be consistent with the center output wavelength that light is combed, and is 1550nm herein.
(6) using the output light of optical frequency com 19 as detection light, the output light of optical frequency com seed source 20 is as the absorption spectrum detection carrying out hydrone sample with reference to light, by using polarization beam apparatus 25, detection light through hydrone sample cell 26 and the detection light without hydrone sample cell 26 are all carried out coherently combined detection with reference light, to bring up to the contrast of detectable signal, the authenticity of Enhancement test data and reliability; The effect of polaroid 24 is the signal to noise ratio (S/N ratio) promoting the spectral signal detected further.
The interference signal of (7) two light comb is entered in data acquisition module 14 by the spectral detection device 13 built by balance detection method and carries out Data Collection and process, is carried the interference signal f ' that sample spectra information and light comb frequency drift amount simultaneously.
(8) on the other hand, by the output light beam splitting by optical frequency com 19 and optical frequency com seed source 20, two light combs carry out beat frequency with the output light of continuous frequency stabilized laser 21 respectively, and the beat frequency of light comb and continuous laser and signal leaching module 29 and 30 all contain the beat signals such as reflective gratings, aperture, condenser lens, avalanche photodetector, narrow band filter and detect and leaching element; Need luffing angle and the relative position of each optical device of Reasonable adjustment, the beat signal amplitude detected is made to be greater than 25dB, simultaneously, in two modules, the selection of narrow band filter needs leaching to be positioned at light comb comb and the beat signal that produces of continuous laser of same position, to ensure the frequency precision of whole system.
(9) the radiofrequency signal f produced respectively with the beat frequency of continuous laser and signal leaching module 29 and 30 is combed by light
beat1with f
beat2difference frequency signal f is obtained through frequency mixer
error=| f
beat1-f
beat2|, it comprises and combed without the light comb system frequency amount of jitter caused by the carrier envelope phase frequency of locking by second light.
(10) sample spectra information and light will be carried simultaneously comb interference signal f ' and the difference frequency signal f of frequency drift amount
errortwo signal mixing and filtering, by response frequency and the bandwidth of choose reasonable frequency mixer and wave filter, by the difference frequency signal f of two signals
signalextract, then by f
signalsignal enters in Fourier transform analyser and carries out spectrum reduction, thus balance out by the error brought to results of spectral measurements of frequency instability of optical frequency com, realize by controlling and obtaining the phase and magnitude of a femtosecond laser frequency comb after testing sample and obtain the novel measuring metering method of spectral information.