Cw optical parametric oscillator for photoacoustic trace gas detection (NNS.4968)

In the life science and industry there is considerable interest in the detection of minute quantities of trace gasses like ethane or CO₂. Trace gas detectors based on infrared (laser) spectroscopy are a good choice for this purpose, especially when fast, on-line measurements are needed. Up to now, progress in this field has been hampered by the availability of suitable laser sources for the wavelength range with the strongest absorptions of gasses. Here, we present a novel optical parametric oscillator (OPO) operating in continuous-wave, single mode that fills this void. The OPO generates high-power, continuously tunable laser radiation between 2.7 and 4.8 µm (max. 2.7 W). Detection limits have been measured for ethane (0.01 parts per billion) and for CO₂ (0.7 parts per billion) using photoacoustic spectroscopy. The system has the potential to detect thousands of other gasses and has, therefore, many potential fields of use.

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