Fano-like resonance due to interference with distant transitions

Abstract

Narrow optical resonances of atoms or molecules have immense significance in various precision measurements, such as testing fundamental physics and the generation of primary frequency standards. In these studies, accurate transition centers derived from fitting the measured spectra are demanded, which critically rely on the knowledge of spectral line profiles. Here, we propose a new mechanism of Fano-like resonance induced by distant discrete levels %in atoms or molecules and experimentally verify it with Doppler-free spectroscopy of vibration-rotational transitions of CO$_2$. The observed spectrum has an asymmetric profile and its amplitude increases quadratically with the probe laser power. Our results facilitate a broad range of topics based on narrow transitions. %, such as optical clocks, determination of fundamental physical constants, and quantum memory.