A compact mid-infrared dual-gas CH4/C2H6 sensor using a single interband cascade laser and custom electronics

Weilin Ye; Chuantao Zheng; Frank K. Tittel; Nancy P. Sanchez; Aleksander K. Gluszek; Arkadiusz J. Hudzikowski; Minhan Lou; Lei Dong; Robert J. Griffin

doi:10.1117/12.2250941

27 January 2017 A compact mid-infrared dual-gas CH₄/C₂H₆ sensor using a single interband cascade laser and custom electronics

Weilin Ye, Chuantao Zheng, Frank K. Tittel, Nancy P. Sanchez, Aleksander K. Gluszek, Arkadiusz J. Hudzikowski, Minhan Lou, Lei Dong, Robert J. Griffin

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10111, Quantum Sensing and Nano Electronics and Photonics XIV; 1011134 (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2250941
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2017, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

A compact mid-infrared (MIR) dual-gas sensor system was demonstrated for simultaneous detection of methane (CH4) and ethane (C₂H₆) using a single continuous-wave (CW) interband cascade laser (ICL) based on tunable laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) and wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS). Ultracompact custom electronics were developed, including a laser current driver, a temperature controller and a lock-in amplifier. These custom electronics reduce the size and weight of the sensor system as compared with a previous version based on commercial electronics. A multipass gas cell with an effective optical length of 54.6 m was employed to enhance the absorption signal. A 3337 nm ICL was capable of targeting a C2H6 absorption line at 2996.88 cm^-1 and a CH₄ line at 2999.06 cm^-1. Dual-gas detection was realized by scanning both the CH4 and C2H6 absorption lines. Based on an Allan deviation analysis, the 1 σ minimum detection limit (MDL) was 17.4 ppbv for CH₄and 2.4 ppbv for C₂H₆ with an integration time of 4.3 s. TDLAS based sensor measurements for both indoor and outdoor mixing ratios of CH₄ and C₂H₆ were conducted. The reported single ICL based dual-gas sensor system has the advantages of reduced size and cost without influencing the midinfrared sensor detection sensitivity, selectivity and reliability.

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Weilin Ye, Chuantao Zheng, Frank K. Tittel, Nancy P. Sanchez, Aleksander K. Gluszek, Arkadiusz J. Hudzikowski, Minhan Lou, Lei Dong, and Robert J. Griffin "A compact mid-infrared dual-gas CH₄/C₂H₆ sensor using a single interband cascade laser and custom electronics", Proc. SPIE 10111, Quantum Sensing and Nano Electronics and Photonics XIV, 1011134 (27 January 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2250941

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