A wideband frequency-offset-locked dye laser spectrometer using a schottky barrier mixer

Abstract Precise frequency-controlled operation of a single-mode ring dye laser with respect to another is reported at a frequency difference of 234 GHz. This extension of the technique of laser frequency offset locking into the microwave range has been achieved by mixing the two laser lines with the harmonics of a suitable microwave frequency on a Schottky barrier mixer. The capability of this spectrometer was demonstrated by a frequency measurement of the transition 1s 5 –2p 8 in 20 Ne with an uncertainty of 1 × 10 -9 .