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Frequency-modulation spectroscopy of the CH3D molecule is performed to assess a novel optical frequency standard at 1.54- m wavelength. Numerical integration of the demodulated first derivative signals provides the Voigt absorption profiles for the R(6,3) transition at 1543.78 nm at different gas pressures. Deconvolution with the Gaussian (Doppler) line provides the corresponding Lorentzian (collisional) line as a function of the gas pressure. Measurements of the collisional broadening contribution, at three different gas pressures, provide a collisional broadening coefficient of 37 MHz/kPa for the R(6,3) line.

The performances of metal-semiconductor point-contact diodes as mixers in the near-infrared region were tested. Preliminary experiments were performed in order to phase-lock two diode lasers at 850 nm a few hundred gigahertz apart. GaSb, InAs, and InSb as semiconductor layers were used. The frequency bridge between the two lasers was covered by a Gunn diode frequency locked to a 1-GHz oscillator. A novel phase-lock circuit was tested on two diode lasers 72 GHz apart.