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Letokhov-Chebotayev Intracavity Trapping Spectroscopy of
Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 223201 – Published 25 November, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rxcj-6dw6
Abstract
In the early days of laser spectroscopy, Letokhov and Chebotayev proposed a scheme for measuring narrow spectral lines where the resolution is not restricted to Doppler effects because the molecules are entrained in a standing-wave light field. Now, such one-dimensional trapping in the intensity maxima of an intracavity field, slightly detuned from resonance, is experimentally demonstrated in the measurement of the very weak S(0) (2-0) quadrupole overtone transition in at 1189 nm. The trapping manifests as an extremely narrow absorption feature at the predicted zero-recoil position, a 70 kHz shift from the blue-recoil component observed in Lamb-dip spectroscopy. A quantitative analysis of the saturation and trapping conditions supports the findings.
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synopsis
Cavity-Trapping for Precision Molecular Spectroscopy
The one-dimensional confinement of molecules in an optical cavity allows researchers to measure a narrow absorption line without the blurring effects of molecular motion.
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