New Frequency Comb Can Identify Molecules in 20-Nanosecond Snapshots

From monitoring concentrations of greenhouse gases to detecting COVID in breath, laser systems known as frequency combs can identify specific molecules as simple as carbon dioxide and as complex as monoclonal antibodies, with unprecedented accuracy and sensitivity. Amazing as they are, however, frequency combs have been limited in how fast they can capture a high-speed process such as hypersonic propulsion or the folding of proteins into their final three-dimensional shapes.