Portable broadband photoacoustic spectroscopy for trace gas detection by quantum cascade laser arrays

Abstract

We report a portable broadband photoacoustic spectroscopic system for trace gas detection using distributed feedback quantum cascade laser arrays. By sequentially firing 128 lasers, our system acquires a photoacoustic spectrum covering 565 c m − 1 ( 935 − 1500 c m − 1 ) with a normalized-noise-equivalent-absorption coefficient of 2.5 × 10 − 9 c m − 1 W H z − 1 / 2 . The firing sequence that determines when and which laser to activate is programmable, which enables frequency-multiplexing excitation. For demonstration, 12 lasers are modulated simultaneously at distinct frequencies, and a photoacoustic spectrum is acquired within 13 ms. The compactness ( 28 c m × 17 c m × 13 c m , 3.5 kg) and low power consumption enable convenient installation for on-site monitoring.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jun 09, 2020
Source ID
10.1364/ol.395202

Entities

People

  • Chien-sheng Liao
  • Christian Pfluegl
  • Daryoosh Vakhshoori
  • Fred Huettig
  • Masud Azimi
  • Romain Blanchard

Organizations

  • United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Medical Imaging.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers
  • Quantum Computing