Paper
25 May 1994 Wavelength agile CO2 laser for chemical sensing
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
A compact, wavelength agile laser and sensor have been developed for remote detection of chemicals. The laser is a computer- controlled, sealed TEA CO2 device with internal catalyst that operates at a maximum firing and wavelength shift rate of 200 Hz with 40% duty cycle. The wavelength shifter, composed of a fixed grating and galvanometer-mounted mirror, operates in repeating patterns with access to 55 lines in the CO2 spectrum in any order. Multi-mode output energy exceeds 125 mJ for all lines and the output pulse is composed of a 120 nsec wide gain-switched spike, followed by a 1.5 microsecond(s) ec tail. Environmental testing was successfully carried out under a 3 g shock, 2 g sine wave vibration, and a 0-40 degree(s)C temperature range. An operational lifetime exceeding 50 million shots was demonstrated with tests terminated by the operator, not a malfunction. The fully integrated laser weighs 100 pounds and requires only a source of 28 Vdc to operate. The laser was integrated with a sensor and in successful field trials the sensor noise was found to be 1-2%, measurement of atmospheric water vapor was within the accuracy of meteorological instruments; and measurement of concentration-path length product for chemicals in a vapor chamber approached the value expected for the noise figure.
© (1994) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
David B. Cohn, Jay A. Fox, and Cynthia R. Swim "Wavelength agile CO2 laser for chemical sensing", Proc. SPIE 2118, Gas, Metal Vapor, and Free-Electron Lasers and Applications, (25 May 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.176650
Lens.org Logo
CITATIONS
Cited by 4 scholarly publications.
Advertisement
Advertisement
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission  Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace
KEYWORDS
Sensors

Gas lasers

Laser development

Carbon monoxide

Carbon dioxide lasers

Calibration

Data acquisition

RELATED CONTENT

Laser remote chemical sensors at Raytheon
Proceedings of SPIE (January 31 2002)
Pulsed CO2 Lasers
Proceedings of SPIE (August 22 1980)
CO2 laser technology for spaceborne doppler wind lidar
Proceedings of SPIE (September 30 1994)
Room-temperature repetitively pulsed CO overtone laser
Proceedings of SPIE (January 25 2001)

Back to Top