Colloquia are Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted and will be in person at DUAN G1B20, as well as online via zoom and Youtube. If you are not a student/faculty member in physics, pre-register with Veronica Lingo (veronica.lingo@colorado.edu) to attend a lecture.
Masks are required for all colloquium attendees, regardless of vaccination status.
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Abstract: High precision sensing in complex engineered and natural environments is crucial for resolving challenges in a wide range of applications including detecting greenhouse gas emissions, predicting wildland fire spread, designing hypersonic propulsion systems, and exploring exoplanet atmospheres. In our laboratory, we are developing and harnessing the power of mode-locked frequency comb lasers to address these emerging challenges at the forefront of climate, energy, and environment. Frequency combs emit hundreds of thousands of frequencies of light in exquisitely short, repeatable pulses, which enables broadband measurements of light-matter interaction at high accuracy, precision, and stability. As an example of a real-world intervention strategy, I will talk about the journey of this technology from a laboratory novelty to a leak detection network covering hundreds of square miles of infrastructure in one of the nation’s busiest oil and gas basins.