Intracavity trace molecular detection with a broadband mid-IR frequency comb source

    Authors

    M. W. Haakestad; T. P. Lamour; N. Leindecker; A. Marandi;K. L. Vodopyanov

    Comments

    Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Opt. Soc. Am. B-Opt. Phys.

    Keywords

    OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR; FOURIER-TRANSFORM SPECTROSCOPY; ABSORPTION-SPECTROSCOPY; MU-M; FEMTOSECOND LASER; BREATH ANALYSIS; SPECTROMETER; TIME; Optics

    Abstract

    Ultrasensitive detection of methane, isotopic carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, acetylene, and ethylene is performed in the spectral range 2.5-5 mu m using intracavity spectroscopy in broadband optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). The OPOs were operated near degeneracy and synchronously pumped either by a mode-locked erbium (1560 nm) or thulium (2050 nm) fiber laser. A large instantaneous bandwidth of up to 800 cm(-1) allows for simultaneous detection of several gases. We observe an effective path-length enhancement due to coherent interaction inside the OPO cavity and achieve part-per-billion sensitivity levels. The measured spectral shapes are in good agreement with a model that takes into account group delay dispersion across the broad OPO frequency band. (c) 2013 Optical Society of America

    Journal Title

    Journal of the Optical Society of America B-Optical Physics

    Volume

    30

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    631

    Last Page

    640

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000315603400023

    ISSN

    0740-3224

    Share

    COinS