CO/sub 2/-laser/microwave-sideband tunable IR source for molecular spectroscopy with environmental and biomolecular applications

A tunable infrared (IR) source has been assembled for high-resolution molecular spectroscopy with application to environmental trace gas detection and investigation of large biomolecules. The source employs a Lamb-dip stabilized CO/sub 2/ laser of Evenson design, with 7-18 GHz microwave (MW) sidebands added via a Cheo modulator to obtain tunable IR radiation over a large fraction of the spectral band. The source will be coupled to a slit-jet molecular beam chamber for ultra-high resolution observations.