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Title: Tunable light source for use in photoacoustic spectrometers

Abstract

The present invention provides a photoacoustic spectrometer that is field portable and capable of speciating complex organic molecules in the gas phase. The spectrometer has a tunable light source that has the ability to resolve the fine structure of these molecules over a large wavelength range. The inventive light source includes an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) having combined fine and coarse tuning. By pumping the OPO with the output from a doped-fiber optical amplifier pumped by a diode seed laser, the inventive spectrometer is able to speciate mixtures having parts per billion of organic compounds, with a light source that has a high efficiency and small size, allowing for portability. In an alternative embodiment, the spectrometer is scanned by controlling the laser wavelength, thus resulting in an even more compact and efficient design.

Inventors:
; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1175584
Patent Number(s):
6975402
Application Number:
10/300,421
Assignee:
Sandia National Laboratories
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
H - ELECTRICITY H04 - ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE H04R - LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION

Citation Formats

Bisson, Scott E., Kulp, Thomas J., and Armstrong, Karla M. Tunable light source for use in photoacoustic spectrometers. United States: N. p., 2005. Web.
Bisson, Scott E., Kulp, Thomas J., & Armstrong, Karla M. Tunable light source for use in photoacoustic spectrometers. United States.
Bisson, Scott E., Kulp, Thomas J., and Armstrong, Karla M. Tue . "Tunable light source for use in photoacoustic spectrometers". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1175584.
@article{osti_1175584,
title = {Tunable light source for use in photoacoustic spectrometers},
author = {Bisson, Scott E. and Kulp, Thomas J. and Armstrong, Karla M.},
abstractNote = {The present invention provides a photoacoustic spectrometer that is field portable and capable of speciating complex organic molecules in the gas phase. The spectrometer has a tunable light source that has the ability to resolve the fine structure of these molecules over a large wavelength range. The inventive light source includes an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) having combined fine and coarse tuning. By pumping the OPO with the output from a doped-fiber optical amplifier pumped by a diode seed laser, the inventive spectrometer is able to speciate mixtures having parts per billion of organic compounds, with a light source that has a high efficiency and small size, allowing for portability. In an alternative embodiment, the spectrometer is scanned by controlling the laser wavelength, thus resulting in an even more compact and efficient design.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 13 00:00:00 EST 2005},
month = {Tue Dec 13 00:00:00 EST 2005}
}

Works referenced in this record:

A tunable, femtosecond pulse source operating in the range 1.06-1.33 microns based on an Yb doped holey fiber amplifier
conference, January 2001

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Real-time monitoring of ethane in human breath using mid-infrared cavity leak-out spectroscopy
journal, June 2001


Broadly tunable, mode-hop-tuned cw optical parametric oscillator based on periodically poled lithium niobate
journal, January 2001


Yb Fiber Laser Pumped Mid-IR Source Based on Difference Frequency Generation and Its Application to Ammonia Detection
journal, February 2001