arXiv subjects

Weiguang Ma

Publications and source records attributed to Weiguang Ma.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Self-heterodyne spectroscopy via a non-uniformly spaced frequency comb

Frequency comb spectroscopy has significantly advanced molecular spectroscopy across scientific research and diverse applications. Among its key performance metrics especially for time-resolved studies, sensitivity and measurement speed are paramount. However, a long-standing compromise between these parameters arises from the need for noise reduction. Here, we introduce a comb spectroscopy system that overcomes this limitation using a single frequency comb of non-uniformly spaced modes. The comb is generated using an extremely simple setup, composed of a continuous-wave (CW) fiber laser and a single-sideband phase modulator (SSM). Our approach delivers optical-to-radio-frequency conversion comparable to dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) but through a simplified self-heterodyning architecture. By leveraging the intrinsic mutual coherence of the comb, this design achieves a noise-equivalent absorption coefficient (NEA) of 5.0*10^(-6) Hz^(-1/2)--an order-of-magnitude improvement over state-of-the-art DCS, coupled with long-term stability. The system resolves weak molecular overtone spectra on nanosecond timescales, in a single-shot measurement, at a signal-to-noise ratio of 128. This integration of high sensitivity, resolution, and speed resolves the core trade-off that has long constrained time-resolved spectroscopic analysis.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

High resolution ultra-sensitive trace gas detection by use of cavity-position-modulated sub-Doppler NICE-OHMS - Application to detection of acetylene in human breath

A sensitive high resolution sub-Doppler detecting spectrometer, based on noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical heterodyne molecular spectrometry (NICE-OHMS), for trace gas detection of species whose transitions have severe spectral overlap with abundant concomitant species is presented. It is designed around a NICE-OHMS instrumentation utilizing balanced detection that provides shot-noise limited Doppler-broadened detection. By synchronous dithering the positions of the two cavity mirrors, the effect of residual etalons between the cavity and other surface in the system could be reduced. An Allan deviation of the absorption coefficient of coefficient of $2.2 \times 10^{-13}$ $\text{cm}^{-1}$ at 60 s, which, for the targeted transition in $\text{C}_{2}\text{H}_{2}$, corresponds to a $3σ$ detection sensitivity of 130 ppt, is demonstrated. It is shown that despite significant spectral interference from $\text{CO}_{2}$ at the targeted transition, which precludes Db detection of $\text{C}_{2}\text{H}_{2}$, acetylene could be detected in exhaled breath of healthy smokers.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Model for molecular absorption spectroscopy in the 1-100 Torr range in the presence of vibrational depletion - Applied to $\text{CH}_4$ in $\text{N}_2$ and dry air

When molecules whose collision induced vibrational decay rates are small are probed by molecular absorption spectroscopic (MAS) techniques the absorption signal can, under certain conditions, be reduced and distorted. The reason has been attributed to the fact that a substantial fraction of the molecules in the interaction region will reside in excited vibrational states, which leads to a depletion of the vibrational ground state. One type of molecule in which this can take place is methane. A model for this phenomenon, based on $\text{CH}_4$ in trace concentrations in either $\text{N}_2$ or dry air in a cylindrical gas cell, detected by mid-infrared light in the 1 - 100 Torr pressure range, is presented. Due to a fast collisional coupling between various rotational states and velocity groups we suggest that depletion in MAS can be modeled adequately by a simple three-level system to which the transport of molecules in the system is coupled as diffusion according to Fick's law, applied to each level individually. The model is verified in a separate work [Hausmaninger T et al., J Quant Spectrosc Radiat Tr. 2017;205:59-70] with good agreement. It predicts that depletion has a strong pressure dependence in the 1 - 30 Torr range, that it is significantly more pronounced in $\text{N}_2$ than in air, and that considerable degrees of depletion can be obtained for mW powers of light (> 10% for powers > 20 mW). The findings indicate that, unless precautions are taken, depletion can adversely affect quantitative assessments performed by MAS. Means of how to reduce depletion are given.

physics.atom-ph↗