Simulation of operation of multiwave remote gas-analyzer based on NH3-laser

Numerical analysis of a multiwave path gas-analyzer, based on a NH₃-laser pumped by CO₂-laser radiation, is performed for model detection of concentrations of a series of molecular species such as NH₃, HCN, phosgene, NHO₃, CO₂, and H₂O. The potentialities of the gas analyzer and uncertainty of the gas concentration detection were estimated for a 4 km horizontal atmospheric path. The estimation took into account the absorption of laser radiation by the atmospheric aerosol and molecular gases under study and distortion of the laser beam due to atmospheric turbulence.     

Mixing of 30 THz laser radiation with nanometer thin-film Ni-NiO-Ni diodes and integrated bow-tie antennas

Mixing experiments with 30 THz CO₂-laser radiation as well as the detection of 35 ps 30 THz pulses of an optical-free-induction-decay CO₂-laser system have been performed with the first nanometer thin-film Ni-NiO-Ni diodes with a minimum contact area of 0.012 µm². Difference frequencies up to 85 MHz were detected by mixing two different CO₂-laser beams coupled to the diode with an integrated bow-tie antenna. The dependence of the beat signal on bias voltage, laser power and polarization of the infrared laser radiation was determined.     

A Raman system for multi-gas-species analysis in power transformer

We have built a complete Raman detection system for multi-trace-gas diagnosis, which is suitable for analyzing the dissolved gases in electric power system. In the system, a high-sensitivity CCD device connected to a spectrometer is used as the detection unit of the Raman system. A near-confocal cavity is used for improving the detection sensitivity of the system. In the effective spectral range of about 570–710 nm, Raman spectra of eight typical gases are achieved by using this Raman system. The detection limits for different gases have been obtained: 126 ppm for CO₂, 21 ppm for CH₄, 63 ppm for C₂H₄, 42 ppm for C₂H₂, 96.6 ppm for H₂. The detectability of the system satisfies the requirements of gas diagnosis in power transformer.     

Nonlinear optical laser devices using GaSe

Tunable second-harmonic generation of CO₂ laser radiation and tunable upconversion of infrared radiation from CO₂-laser radiation in a GaSe crystal are demonstrated. The capability of low infrared-signal detection in this crystal is also explored and compared with the AgGaS₂ crystal.     

Use of High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Identify Products from Microwave Discharges in COAL-D2O Mixtures

Reactions of carbonaceous materials and H O in microwave discharges are known to produce H₂, HCN, CO, CO₂, and light hydrocarbon gases (primarily C₁ and C₂) in varying amounts. To determine if the solid or the H₂O is the source of hydrogen in formation of the above products, Fu and Blaustein reacted coal and graphite with D₂O.¹ Low-resolution mass spectra of the gaseous products from the D₂O experiments indicated the possibility of non-deuterated and corresponding deuterated compounds in the reaction mixture. Conventional separation and analytical techniques are not applicable to mixtures of this type. This communication describes the use of a high-resolution mass spectrometer, operated at a resolution 35 percent less than theoretically required for separation of the H₂-D doublet, to electrically measure precise masses for mixtures containing micromole amounts of deuterated and non-deuterated light gases.     

半导体的CO2激光退火和合金化

本文主要研究连续CO₂激光对半导体的照射效应。实验结果与理论分析说明,用连续CO₂激光照射可将半导体样片加热到所需的温度。与其它短波长的激光不同,波长为10.6μm的连续CO₂激光照射半导体有如下特点:CO₂激光是借助于自由载流子吸收与半导体耦合;样片在深度方向被均匀加热;激光背面照射可以增强退火效果。连续CO₂激光照射可以固相外延再生长的方式使As离子注入Si的损伤层退火恢复。在再生长的过程中注入的As离子进入替位,电激活率很高,而且不发生杂质再分布。将连续CO₂激光背面照射成功地应用于GaAsFET制备欧姆接触,既可避免激光正面照射对器件结构的破坏,又能得到比热退火为好的电学性能。 关键词：     

A new design of the differential photoacoustic gas detector combined with a cantilever microphone

A new prototype of a portable differential photoacoustic measurement system was designed and built. The system applies the gas filter correlation method. A blackbody radiator is used as a radiation source, which allows measurements of great variety of different IR absorbing gases. The prototype exploits the high sensitivity of a cantilever pressure sensor. The differential design allows a selective real time measurement for a single gas in open air or from the flowing sample. For the first time the photoacoustic cell geometry for an acceleration noise damping was integrated to a differential detector. The system has potential applications anywhere that sensitive in-situ-measurements are required: for example in process control technology, air quality monitoring, exhale monitoring, alarm devices and food industry. The measurement of nitric oxide was modeled in the presence of water vapor. As an example the concentration of water vapor, that is acceptable if ppb-level nitric oxide measurements are to be done, was calculated. With a typical band pass filter and a blackbody radiator the amount is 20 ppm with 1.3 s integration time. The concentration was also calculated to diode laser operating at 2.663 μm and quantum cascade laser at 5.263 μm. The respective concentrations were 2 ppm and 6600 ppm.     

CO2 isotope sensor using a broadband infrared source, a spectrally narrow 4.4 μm quantum cascade detector, and a Fourier spectrometer

We report a prototype CO₂ gas sensor based on a simple blackbody infrared source and a spectrally narrow quantum cascade detector (QCD). The detector absorption spectrum is centered at 2260 cm⁻¹ (4.4 μm) and has a full width at half maximum of 200 cm⁻¹ (25 meV). It covers strong absorption bands of two spectrally overlapping CO₂ isotopomers, namely the P-branch of ¹²CO₂ and the R-branch of ¹³CO₂. Acquisition of the spectral information and data treatment were performed in a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. By flushing its sample compartment either with nitrogen, dry fresh air, ambient air, or human breath, we were able to determine CO₂ concentrations corresponding to the different gas mixtures. A detection limit of 500 ppb was obtained in these experiments.     

CO2-laser-induced breakdown in mono- and diatomic gases

Several monoatomic and homonuclear diatomic gases absorb energy from a focused CO₂-laser photon field. It has been established that the pressure threshold for the energy absorption correlates qualitatively with the known ionization potentials of those gases. The simplified phenomenological theory of the CO₂-laser-induced dielectric breakdown of gases is invoked to explain this phenomenon. In the H₂–D₂ system, the formation of HD is observed under these conditions. The examination of the reaction yields for HD formation demonstrates that the system studied does not reach equilibrium under our experimental conditions. Considerations regarding kinetics of primary processes reveal that ionic species, created originally via an inverse bremsstrahlung mechanism, are converted into atomic transients in fast ionic association processes. The latter species initiate chain reactions with surrounding molecules of substrates leading to the formation of HD. Simple kinetic analysis based on a non-steady-state assumption permitted the derivation of an expression for the yield of HD formation. This equation was fitted to the experimental data assuming that the temperature of the reaction rises with an increase of the amount of D₂ in the mixture. Some other aspects regarding the behavior of this system in a focused CO₂ laser beam are also discussed.U.S. Department of Energy Document No. DE-AS02-76ER03416-37     

Simultaneous detection of trace gases using multiplexed tunable diode lasers and a photoacoustic cell containing a cantilever microphone

We report what we believe to be a novel demonstration of simultaneous detection of multiple trace gases by near-IR tunable diode laser photoacoustic spectroscopy using a cell containing a cantilever microphone. Simultaneous detection of carbon monoxide (CO), ethyne (C₂H₂), methane (CH₄) and combined carbon monoxide/carbon dioxide (CO+CO₂) in nitrogen-based gas mixtures was achieved by modulation frequency division multiplexing the outputs of four near-IR tunable diode lasers. Normalized noise-equivalent absorption coefficients of 3.4×10^?9, 3.6×10^?9 and 1.4×10^?9 cm^?1?W?Hz^?1/2 were obtained for the simultaneous detection of CO, C₂H₂ and CH₄ at atmospheric pressure. These corresponded to noise-equivalent detection limits of 249.6 ppmv (CO), 1.5 ppmv (C₂H₂) and 293.7 ppmv (CH₄) respectively over a measurement period of 2.6 s at the relevant laser power. The performance of the system was not influenced by the number of lasers deployed, the main source of noise arising from ambient acoustic effects. The results confirm that small-volume photoacoustic cells can be used with low optical power tunable diode lasers for rapid simultaneous detection of trace gases with high sensitivity and specificity.     

Temperature measurements in CO2-laser-induced pyrolysis flames for SiC and ternary SiC/C/B powder synthesis by means of CARS

The hot luminescent reaction zones of CO₂-laser-induced pyrolysis flames using SiH₄/C₂H₂ gas mixtures with different silane to acetylene ratios and with and without diborane additives were investigated by means of H₂ Q-branch CARS spectroscopy, leading to spatial temperature profiles in gas flow direction. In the case of B₂H₆ additive to the stoichiometric SiH₄/C₂H₂ mixture a high temperature plateau ( 800–1000 K) of the reactant gas volume develops already several millimetres before reaching the CO₂-laser focus line. This precursor preheating zone could be explained by the catalytic effect of boron atoms or boron-containing intermediate species in the flame. A similar behaviour for acetylene-rich flames operating at half laser power was not observed.     

Thermal performance analysis of vacuum variable-temperature blackbody system

In this paper, the design and structure of a vacuum variable-temperature blackbody system were described, and the steady-state thermal analysis of a 3-D blackbody model was presented. Also, the thermal performance of the blackbody was evaluated using an infrared camera system. The blackbody system was constructed to operate under vacuum conditions (2.67 × 10⁻² Pa) to reduce its temperature uncertainty, which can be caused by vapor condensation at low temperatures usually below 273.15 K. A heat sink and heat shield including a cold shield were embedded around the radiator to maintain the heat balance of the blackbody. A simplified 3-D model of the blackbody including a radiator, heat sink, heat shield, cold shield, and heat source was thermophysically evaluated by performing finite elements analysis using the extended Stefan–Boltzmann’s rule, and the infrared radiating performance of the developed system was analyzed using an infrared camera system. On the basis of the results of measurements and simulations, we expect that the suggested blackbody system can serve as a highly stable reference source for the calibration and measurement of infrared optical systems within operational temperature ranges.     

CO2-laser photoacoustic detection of gaseous n-pentylacetate

The absorption spectra of gaseous n-pentylacetate were investigated by FT IR spectroscopy as well as CO₂-laser photoacoustic spectroscopy for simulation of the dispersion of a nerve agent (sarin) within a modeled atmospheric boundary layer. Three CO₂-laser emission lines were used for photoacoustic detection of n-pentylacetate with detection limit in the range of 1-3 ppm.     

Observation of exciton surface polaritons at room temperature

10 new cw far infrared laser lines have been observed by optically pumping the CD₃ deformation vibration band of CD₃OH with 9 μm CO₂-laser lines     

Field measurements of volcanic gases using tunable diode laser based mid-infrared and Fourier transform infrared spectrometers

The first field measurements of volcanic gases using mid-IR difference frequency laser spectroscopy are reported. The results were obtained at the summit crater of Masaya volcano, Nicaragua, with the gases being drawn into a multi-pass cell and measured at reduced pressure. Automated sensitive and selective detection of CO₂, SO₂, H^35,37Cl, H₂O, and CH₄ was achieved. Simultaneous measurements obtained with open-path Fourier transform spectroscopy provide a useful comparison of the two optical techniques. We also consider the potential measurement of CO₂ isotopic ratios in volcanic gases using laser-based spectroscopy.     

Tunable fiber laser based photoacoustic gas sensor for early fire detection

A photoacoustic gas sensor using a near-infrared tunable fiber laser and based on wavelength modulation spectroscopy technique is developed. This sensor is capable of quasi-simultaneous quantification of water vapour, acetylene, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide (H₂O, C₂H₂, CO and CO₂) concentrations in the fire emulator. The feasibility of using this sensor as an early fire detector was demonstrated. The fire warning gases from smoldering paper were measured. The peak concentrations of gases from smoldering paper were 20,300 ppm H₂O, 2.1 ppm C₂H₂, 756 ppm CO, and 1612 ppm CO₂ after 400 s.     

The absorption cross sections of N2, O2, CO,NO, CO2, N2O,CH4, C2H4, C2H6 and C4H10 from 180 to 700Å

The absorption cross sections of N₂, O₂, CO, NO, CO₂, N₂O, CH₄, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, C₄H₁₀ have been measured photoelectrically in the 180–700 Å region using synchrotron radiation. The absorption cross sections in the region λ ≥ 500 Å was found to be structureless and to increase monotonically with wavelength for all gases. The positions of the structure observed in the 520–720 Å region for N₂, O₂, CO₂ and N₂O are consistent with the various Rydberg series reported by previous authors.     

Flame structure studies of rich ethylene-oxygen-argon mixtures doped with CO2, or with NH3, or with H2O

Structures of several premixed ethylene-oxygen-argon rich flat flames burning at 50 mbar have been established by using molecular beam mass spectrometry in order to investigate the effect of CO₂, or NH₃, or H₂O addition on species concentration profiles. The aim of this study is to examine the eventual changes of profiles of detected hydrocarbon intermediates which could be considered as soot precursors (C₂H₂, C₄H₂, C₅H₄, C₅H₆, C₆H₂, C₆H₄, C₆H₆, C₇H₈, C₆H₆O, C₈H₆, C₈H₈, C₉H₈ and C₁₀H₈). The comparative study has been achieved on four flames with an equivalence ratio (f) of 2.50: one without any additive (F2.50), one with 15% of CO₂ replacing the same quantity of argon (F2.50C), one with 3.3% of NH₃ in partial replacement of argon (F2.50N) and one with 13% of H₂O in replacement of the same quantity of argon (F2.50H). The four flat flames have similar final flame temperatures (1800 K).CO₂, or NH₃, or H₂O addition to the fresh gas inlet causes a shift downstream of the flame front and thus flame inhibition. Endothermic processes CO₂ + H = CO + OH and H₂O + H = H₂ + OH are responsible of the reduction of the hydrocarbon intermediates in the CO₂ and H₂O added flames through the supplementary formation of hydroxyl radicals. It has been demonstrated that such processes begin to play at the end of the flame front and becomes more efficient in the burnt gases region.The replacement of some Ar by NH₃ is responsible only for a slight decrease of the maximum mole fraction of C₂H₂, but NH₃ becomes much more efficient for C₄H₂ and C₅ to C₁₀ species. Moreover, the efficiency of NH₃ as a reducing agent of C₅ to C₁₀ intermediates is larger than that of CO₂ and H₂O for equal quantities added.     

Direct Measurement of Collisional Energy Transfer Between Highly Vibrationally Excited Triplet Fluorenone and Bath Gases

Intensities and decay rates of CO₂-laser induced delayed fluorescence are used to probe collisional relaxation of vibrationally excited fluorenone diluted with bath gases: He, N₂, Kr. The average energies 〈ΔE〉 transferred per collision are found to vary with vibrational energy, the energy dependences of the collisional efficiency eventually level off.     

Far-Infrared Laser Assignments for Methylamine

Reported far-infrared laser lines for five different transition systems of CH₃NH₂ optically pumped by a CO₂ laser have been identified spectroscopically through a high-resolution Fourier transform infrared study of the C-N stretching band together with CO₂-laser/microwave-sideband broad-scan and Lamb-dip measurements. From the infrared analysis plus previous far-infrared (FIR) results for the ground vibrational state, quantum numbers have been assigned for seven methylamine FIR laser transitions and their C-N stretching pump absorptions coincident with the CO₂ laser lines. The assignments are confirmed through the use of closed frequency combination loops that also provide improved FIR laser frequencies to spectroscopic accuracy.