Dr. Esther Baumann, a research scientist at NIST, is pushing the boundaries of laser technology with her work on frequency combs. These specialized lasers are revolutionizing how we see and measure the world around us, from detecting greenhouse gases to potentially assessing muscle health non-invasively.
Frequency combs act as precise optical tools, allowing scientists to detect specific light frequencies interacting with various samples. Dr. Baumann’s research focuses on dual-comb spectroscopy, which enables faster and more efficient data collection. This technology has practical applications in environmental monitoring, helping companies measure pollutants and comply with regulations.
Dr. Baumann’s innovative research extends to three exciting areas:
- Muscle health assessment: Developing a technique that could allow doctors to examine muscle tissue without invasive biopsies, potentially benefiting research on conditions like strokes and muscular dystrophy.
- Seeing through fire: Using lasers to measure structural deformation in burning buildings, which could enhance firefighter safety by allowing them to assess building stability from a distance.
- Wildfire research: Applying laser technology to study how different types of vegetation burn, contributing to our understanding of wildfire behavior.
While these applications are still in the research phase, they demonstrate the vast potential of frequency comb technology to transform fields ranging from healthcare to fire safety. Dr. Baumann’s work exemplifies how laser science continues to evolve, offering new ways to observe and measure phenomena that were previously difficult or impossible to detect.
For the full article and more details on Dr. Baumann’s groundbreaking research, visit the NIST website here. Photo credit: R. Jacobson/NIST
Esther Baumann, the author, is a research scientist at NIST and has worked for 16 years in designing and building fiber frequency combs and exploring innovative laser and frequency comb applications. She is passionate about establishing synergies through cross-disciplinary collaboration, with her work touching diverse fields from laser ranging through fire to muscle health assessment. Baumann has been actively engaged in high-precision, molecular dual-comb spectroscopy of gas phases, including monitoring greenhouse gases. Recently, Baumann shifted her concentration toward the free-form dual-comb platform. This new and improved dual-comb spectrometer, created by her team, is designed to intelligently gather the most pertinent parts of a signal during measurement, making it a more adaptable and versatile tool.