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Title: Mode-mismatched confocal thermal-lens microscope with collimated probe beam

Abstract

We report a thermal lens microscope (TLM) based on an optimized mode-mismatched configuration. It takes advantage of the coaxial counter propagating tightly focused excitation and collimated probe beams, instead of both focused at the sample, as it is in currently known TLM setups. A simple mathematical model that takes into account the main features of the instrument is presented. The confocal detection scheme and the introduction of highly collimated probe beam allow enhancing the versatility, limit of detection (LOD), and sensitivity of the instrument. The theory is experimentally verified measuring ethanol’s absorption coefficient at 532.8 nm. Additionally, the presented technique is applied for detection of ultra-trace amounts of Cr(III) in liquid solution. The achieved LOD is 1.3 ppb, which represents 20-fold enhancement compared to transmission mode spectrometric techniques and a 7.5-fold improvement compared to previously reported methods for Cr(III) based on thermal lens effect.

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [2]
  1. SPIE-ICTP Anchor Research Laboratory, International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Strada Costiera 11, Trieste (Italy)
  2. Laboratory for Environmental Research, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 13, 5000 Nova Gorica (Slovenia)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22392498
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Review of Scientific Instruments
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 86; Journal Issue: 5; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0034-6748
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; ABSORPTION; BEAMS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DETECTION; ETHANOL; LENSES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MICROSCOPES; PROBES; SENSITIVITY; SOLUTIONS

Citation Formats

Cabrera, Humberto, Centro Multidisciplinartio de Ciencias, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Korte, Dorota, and Franko, Mladen. Mode-mismatched confocal thermal-lens microscope with collimated probe beam. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4919735.
Cabrera, Humberto, Centro Multidisciplinartio de Ciencias, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Korte, Dorota, & Franko, Mladen. Mode-mismatched confocal thermal-lens microscope with collimated probe beam. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4919735
Cabrera, Humberto, Centro Multidisciplinartio de Ciencias, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Korte, Dorota, and Franko, Mladen. 2015. "Mode-mismatched confocal thermal-lens microscope with collimated probe beam". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4919735.
@article{osti_22392498,
title = {Mode-mismatched confocal thermal-lens microscope with collimated probe beam},
author = {Cabrera, Humberto and Centro Multidisciplinartio de Ciencias, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas and Korte, Dorota and Franko, Mladen},
abstractNote = {We report a thermal lens microscope (TLM) based on an optimized mode-mismatched configuration. It takes advantage of the coaxial counter propagating tightly focused excitation and collimated probe beams, instead of both focused at the sample, as it is in currently known TLM setups. A simple mathematical model that takes into account the main features of the instrument is presented. The confocal detection scheme and the introduction of highly collimated probe beam allow enhancing the versatility, limit of detection (LOD), and sensitivity of the instrument. The theory is experimentally verified measuring ethanol’s absorption coefficient at 532.8 nm. Additionally, the presented technique is applied for detection of ultra-trace amounts of Cr(III) in liquid solution. The achieved LOD is 1.3 ppb, which represents 20-fold enhancement compared to transmission mode spectrometric techniques and a 7.5-fold improvement compared to previously reported methods for Cr(III) based on thermal lens effect.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4919735},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22392498}, journal = {Review of Scientific Instruments},
issn = {0034-6748},
number = 5,
volume = 86,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Fri May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}