Broadband high-resolution x-ray frequency combs
Abstract
Optical frequency combs have had a remarkable impact on precision spectroscopy. Enabling this technology in the x-ray domain is expected to result in wide-ranging applications, such as stringent tests of astrophysical models and quantum electrodynamics, a more sensitive search for the variability of fundamental constants, and precision studies of nuclear structure. Ultraprecise x-ray atomic clocks may also be envisaged. In this work, an x-ray pulse-shaping method is put forward to generate a comb in the absorption spectrum of an ultrashort high-frequency pulse. The method employs an optical-frequency-comb laser, manipulating the system's dipole response to imprint a comb on an excited transition with a high photon energy. The described scheme provides higher comb frequencies and requires lower optical-comb peak intensities than currently explored methods, preserves the overall width of the optical comb, and may be implemented by presently available x-ray technology.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1402.6652,
title = {Broadband high-resolution x-ray frequency combs},
author = {Stefano M. Cavaletto and Zoltan Harman and Christian Ott and Christian Buth and Thomas Pfeifer and Christoph H. Keitel},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1402.6652},
year = {2016}
}