New laser helps decode rare earth element samarium’s secret spectrum

Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz have developed an advanced laser-based technique, dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS), to uncover previously unknown atomic transitions in the rare earth element samarium. This method builds on the 2005 Nobel Prize-winning optical frequency comb technology and uses two synchronized comb lasers to measure atomic spectra across a broad electromagnetic frequency range with high resolution and sensitivity. By employing multiple photodetectors to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, the team achieved ambiguity-free, high-precision measurements, enabling the detection of weak spectral signals that were previously difficult to resolve. The research revealed several new samarium absorption lines, highlighting the technique’s capability to expose hidden atomic properties. Samarium is vital for manufacturing high-performance samarium-cobalt permanent magnets used in electric vehicle motors and wind turbines, making these findings significant for both fundamental physics and applied materials science. This work also lays the foundation for “Spectroscopy 2.0,” a next-generation, massively parallel spect