Near infrared frequency comb vernier spectrometer for broadband trace gas detection

Opt Express. 2014 Sep 22;22(19):23026-33. doi: 10.1364/OE.22.023026.

Abstract

We present a femtosecond frequency comb vernier spectrometer in the near infrared with a femtosecond Er doped fiber laser, a scanning high-finesse cavity and an InGaAs camera. By utilizing the properties of a frequency comb and a scanning high-finesse cavity such a spectrometer provides broad spectral bandwidth, high spectral resolution, and high detection sensitivity on a short time scale. We achieved an absorption sensitivity of ~8 × 10(-8) cm(-1)Hz(-1/2), corresponding to a detection limit of ~70 ppbv for acetylene, with a resolution of ~1.1 GHz in single images taken in 0.5 seconds and covering a frequency range of ~5 THz. Such measurements have broad applications for sensing greenhouse gases in this fingerprint near infrared region with a simple apparatus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylene / analysis*
  • Gases / analysis*
  • Lasers*
  • Limit of Detection*
  • Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / methods*

Substances

  • Gases
  • Acetylene