Widely-tunable mid-infrared fiber-coupled quartz-enhanced photoacoustic sensor for environmental monitoring

Year: 2014

Authors: Siciliani de Cumis M., Viciani S., Borri S., Patimisco P., Sampaolo A., Scamarcio G., De Natale P., D’Amato F., Spagnolo V.

Autors Affiliation: CNR – Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO) and European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy (LENS), Via Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino FI, Italy; Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Bari, Politecnico di Bari and CNR Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN) UOS Bari, via Amendola 173, 70126 Bari BA, Italy

Abstract: A compact widely-tunable fiber-coupled sensor for trace gas detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the mid infrared is reported. The sensor is based on an external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) tunable between 7.6 and 8.3 mu m wavelengths coupled into a single-mode hollow-core waveguide. Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy has been selected as detecting technique. The fiber coupling system converts the astigmatic beam exiting the laser into a TEM00 mode. During a full laser scan, we observed no misalignment between the optical beam and the tuning fork, thus making our system applicable for multi-gas or broad absorber detections. The sensor has been tested on N-2:H2S gas mixtures. The minimum detectable H2S concentration is 450 ppb in similar to 3 s integration time, which is the best value till now reported in literature for H2S optical sensors. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America

Journal/Review: OPTICS EXPRESS

Volume: 22 (23)      Pages from: 28222  to: 28231

More Information: The authors from CNR-INO gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Regione Toscana, within the frame of POR CReO FESR 2007-2013, Project SIMPAS (Innovative Measurement Systems for the Protection of Environment and Health). The authors from Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica di Bari acknowledge financial support from three Italian research projects: PON01 02238, PON02 00675 and PON02 00576.
KeyWords: Gases; Infrared devices; Quantum cascade lasers; Quartz, Astigmatic beams; Detecting technique; Environmental Monitoring; Hollow-core waveguides; Integration time; Photoacoustic sensors; Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopies; Trace gas detection, Photoacoustic spectroscopy, gas; silicon dioxide, analysis; devices; diode laser; environmental monitoring; equipment design; gas; spectroscopy, Environmental Monitoring; Equipment Design; Gases; Lasers, Semiconductor; Quartz; Spectrum Analysis
DOI: 10.1364/OE.22.028222

Citations: 93
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