volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

Quartz-enhanced photothermal spectroscopy (QEPTS) technique is suitable for simultaneous measurement of multi-gas in near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) bands with advantages of wide spectral response and high sensitivity. Here, we report a multi-gas sensing system based on QEPTS using NIR and MIR Lasers. A quartz tuning fork (QTF) with a resonant frequency f₀ of 32.742 kHz was employed as a photothermal detector. A continuous wave distributed feedback (CW-DFB) fiber-coupled diode laser with a center wavelength of 1.58 µm and an interband cascade laser (ICL) with a center wavelength of 4.47 μm were used as the light sources to simultaneously irradiate on different surfaces of QTF for scanning the absorption lines of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). A multi-pass cell with an effective optical path of 40 m and a 40 cm absorption cell were selected for the measurements of CO₂ and NO₂, respectively. The developed sensor was validated by the detection of mixtures containing 3000 ppm CO₂ and 20 ppm N₂O. The relationships between the second harmonic (2f) amplitude of the QEPTS signal and the CO₂ and N₂O concentrations were investigated. Allan deviation analysis shows that this sensor had excellent stability and high sensitivity with a minimum detection limit (MDL) of 2.729 ppm for CO₂ in an integration time of 195 s and 0.038 ppb for N₂O in an integration time of 90 s, respectively.

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Ms. Fangmei Li

Dr. Tie Zhang

Dr. Gaoxuan Wang

Prof. Sailing He