Ramsey-like techniques, based on the coherent excitation of a sample by delayed and phase-correlated pulses, are promising tools for high-precision spectroscopic tests of QED in the extreme-ultraviolet (xuv) spectral region, but currently suffer experimental limitations related to long acquisition times and critical stability issues. Here we propose a random subsampling approach to Ramsey spectroscopy that, by allowing experimentalists to reach a given spectral resolution goal in a fraction of the usual acquisition time, leads to substantial improvements in high-resolution spectroscopy and may open the way to a widespread application of Ramsey-like techniques to precision measurements in the xuv spectral region.

• Received 30 September 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.83.041402