Frequency Measurement of the Iodine Transitions at 515 nm with a Cr:Forsterite Comb

Precision frequency metrology has been greatly affected by rapid progress in femtosecond technology and development of frequency-stabilized ultrafast lasers. Emergence of highly accurate broadband frequency combs generated either directly by mode-locked lasers or in special optical fibers has significantly facilitated accurate measurements of absolute frequencies and frequency intervals in different spectral ranges. We report on the frequency measurement of transitions in molecular iodine 127 I 2 in the wavelength range of 515 nm by means of a frequency interval measurement with a frequency comb from the mode-locked Cr:forsterite (Cr:F) laser. Iodine transitions in this range have a narrow linewidth (10 kHz) and can be used for establishment of an optical frequency standard with potential frequency stability on the order of 10 -15 based on iodine-stabilized Yb:YAG laser.