Stimulated Raman scattering metrology of molecular hydrogen

Frequency combs have revolutionized optical frequency metrology, allowing one to determine highly accurate transition frequencies of a wealth of molecular species. These progresses have only marginally benefited infrared-inactive transitions, due to their inherently weak cross-sections. Here we overcome this limitation by introducing stimulated-Raman-scattering metrology, where a frequency comb is exploited to calibrate the frequency detuning between the pump and Stokes excitation lasers. We apply this approach to the investigation of molecular hydrogen, which is a recognized benchmark for tests of quantum electrodynamics and of theories that describe physics beyond the standard model. Specifically, we measure the transition frequency of the Q(1) fundamental line of H2 around 4155 cm−1 with few parts-per-billion uncertainty, which is comparable to the theoretical benchmark of ab initio calculations and more than a decade better than the experimental state of the art. Our comb-calibrated stimulated Raman scattering spectrometer extends the toolkit of optical frequency metrology as it can be applied, with simple technical changes, to many other infrared-inactive transitions, over a 50-5000 cm−1 range that covers also purely rotational bands.