New spectroscopy method reveals hidden atomic transitions in samarium
Understanding atomic structure is central to describing matter and designing experiments that probe its fundamental behavior. Yet for many rare earth and actinide elements, atomic energy-level data remain incomplete. High-resolution spectroscopy offers a way to close these gaps, but current methods are restricted by difficulties in signal separation and the limited range of detectable wavelengths.
The Mainz group, led by Prof. Dmitry Budker, advanced a technique known as dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS). This method uses two optical frequency combs specialized lasers capable of measuring extremely precise light frequencies to capture broadband spectra with high resolution. The 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics recognized the development of frequency combs.
High-resolution, broadband spectroscopy is essential for precision measurements in atomic physics and the search for new fundamental interactions, notes lead author and doctoral researcher Razmik Aramyan. To overcome DCS challenges such as weak signal detection, the team implemented multiple photodetectors to boost the signal-to-noise ratio. This multichannel setup enabled clear measurements across a broad frequency range.
The researchers describe their work as a step toward "Spectroscopy 2.0," an international initiative to build massively parallel tools capable of conducting many simultaneous spectroscopic measurements, including under extreme magnetic fields.
In its first application, the method was used to study samarium vapor. By analyzing spectra at different temperatures and concentrations, the team identified several absorption lines absent from existing datasets. We have discovered several previously undescribed samarium absorption lines. This illustrates the potential of our method to uncover previously unknown atomic properties, Aramyan emphasizes.
Research Report:Enhanced multichannel dual-comb spectroscopy of complex systems, Phys. Rev. Applied 24, L021002
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