Mid-infrared heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectroscopy using difference frequency generation Articles uri icon

publication date

  • March 2018

start page

  • 1

end page

  • 5

issue

  • 66

volume

  • 124

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0946-2171

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1432-0649

abstract

  • Difference frequency generation is a flexible method for the generation of mid-infrared light. It allows downshifting a near-infrared optical signal to the mid-infrared region by means of a nonlinear process, enabling to take full advantage of the availability of optical communications components for the generation of the multi-tone signals that are characteristic of molecular dispersion spectroscopic methods. In this way, it is possible to avoid several issues associated with optical instruments in which directly modulated mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers are employed. In this paper, we take full advantage of this benefit to implement the first heterodyne phase sensitive dispersion spectroscopy gas sensor based on a difference frequency generation source. The performance of the instrument is validated by detecting with high sensitivity methane in the 3.4 mum mid-infrared band.

keywords

  • dispersions; heterodyning; infrared devices; optical communication; quantum cascade lasers; spectroscopic analysis; difference-frequency generation; directly modulated; mid-infrared quantum cascade; mid-infrared regions; molecular dispersions; multitone signal; nonlinear process; spectroscopic method; optical frequency conversion