Sensors 2012, 12(12), 16466-16481; doi:10.3390/s121216466
Article

Chirped Laser Dispersion Spectroscopy for Remote Open-Path Trace-Gas Sensing†

Michal Nikodem and Gerard Wysocki* email
Electrical Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
† This is a feature paper.
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 29 August 2012; in revised form: 26 October 2012 / Accepted: 21 November 2012 / Published: 28 November 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Sensing and Imaging)
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Abstract: In this paper we present a prototype instrument for remote open-path detection of nitrous oxide. The sensor is based on a 4.53 μm quantum cascade laser and uses the chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) technique for molecular concentration measurements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of open-path laser-based trace-gas detection using a molecular dispersion measurement. The prototype sensor achieves a detection limit down to the single-ppbv level and exhibits excellent stability and robustness. The instrument characterization, field deployment performance, and the advantages of applying dispersion sensing to sensitive trace-gas detection in a remote open-path configuration are presented.
Keywords: optical dispersion spectroscopy; laser spectroscopy; remote sensing; quantum cascade lasers

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Nikodem, M.; Wysocki, G. Chirped Laser Dispersion Spectroscopy for Remote Open-Path Trace-Gas Sensing. Sensors 2012, 12, 16466-16481.

AMA Style

Nikodem M, Wysocki G. Chirped Laser Dispersion Spectroscopy for Remote Open-Path Trace-Gas Sensing. Sensors. 2012; 12(12):16466-16481.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nikodem, Michal; Wysocki, Gerard. 2012. "Chirped Laser Dispersion Spectroscopy for Remote Open-Path Trace-Gas Sensing." Sensors 12, no. 12: 16466-16481.

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