A multiwavelength, multicomponent CRDS gas sensor operating on the basis of a compact photonic crystal fibre supercontinuum light source has been constructed. It features a simple design encompassing one radiation source, one cavity and one detection unit (a spectrograph with a fitted ICCD camera) that are common for all wavelengths. Multicomponent detection capability of the device is demonstrated by simultaneous measurements of the absorption spectra of molecular oxygen (spin-forbidden b-X branch) and water vapor (polyads 4v, 4v + δ) in ambient atmospheric air. Issues related to multimodal cavity excitation, as well as to obtaining the best signal-to-noise ratio are discussed together with methods for their practical resolution based on operating the cavity in a "quasi continuum" mode and setting long camera gate widths, respectively. A comprehensive review of multiwavelength CRDS techniques is also given.
Keywords: 07.57.Ty; 07.60.Rd; 07.88.+y; 33.20.Kf; 37.30.+i; 42.55.Tv; 42.79.Gn; PACS 07.07.Df; cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy; cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy; molecular spectroscopy; photonic crystal fibres; supercontinuum lasers.