Optical Frequency Combs for Molecular Spectroscopy, Kinetics, and Sensing

With rapidly developing technological advances and increasing commercialization, optical frequency combs are beginning to see use in chemical laboratories around the world. These light sources allow chemists to collect high-resolution, multiplexed direct absorption spectra in a fraction of the laboratory time required by more conventional methods. Broadband coupling of combs into high-finesse optical cavities continues to break new ground in the sensitivity of both frequency- and time-resolved spectroscopies. Analytical sensing applications are also undergoing a burst of activity as comb systems become miniaturized, turn-key, and more robust in rugged environments. In this Chapter, we introduce frequency comb spectroscopy and survey its recent applications to molecular spectroscopy and dynamics, chemical reaction kinetics, and sensing.