Capability of Raman lidar for monitoring the variation of atmospheric CO2 profile

Lidar （Light detection and ranging） has special capabilities for remote sensing of many different behaviours of the atmosphere. One of the techniques which show a great deal of promise for several applications is Raman scattering. The detecting capability, including maximum operation range and minimum detectable gas concentration is one of the most significant parameters for lidar remote sensing of pollutants. In this paper, based on the new method for evaluating the capabilities of a Raman lidar system, we present an evaluation of detecting capability of Raman lidar for monitoring atmospheric CO2 in Hefei. Numerical simulations about the influence of atmospheric conditions on lidar detecting capability were carried out, and a conclusion can be drawn that the maximum difference of the operation ranges caused by the weather conditions alone can reach about 0.4 to 0.5km with a measuring precision within 30ppmv. The range of minimum detectable concentration caused by the weather conditions alone can reach about 20 to 35 ppmv in vertical direction for 20000 shots at a distance of 1 km on the assumption that other parameters are kept constant. The other corresponding parameters under different conditions are also given. The capability of Raman lidar operated in vertical direction was found to be superior to that operated in horizontal direction. During practical measurement with the Raman lidar whose hardware components were fixed, aerosol scattering extinction effect would be a significant factor that influenced the capability of Raman lidar. This work may be a valuable reference for lidar system designing, measurement accuracy improving and data processing.     

CO concentration and temperature sensor for combustion gases using quantum-cascade laser absorption near 4.7 μm

A sensor for sensitive in situ measurements of carbon monoxide and temperature in combustion gases has been developed using absorption transitions in the (v′=1←v″=0) and (v′=2←v″=1) fundamental bands of CO. Recent availability of mid-infrared quantum-cascade (QC) lasers provides convenient access to the CO fundamental band near 4.7 μm, having approximately 10⁴ and 10² times stronger absorption line-strengths compared to the overtone bands near 1.55 μm and 2.3 μm used previously to sense CO in combustion gases. Spectroscopic parameters of the selected transitions were determined via laboratory measurements in a shock tube over the 1100–2000 K range and also at room temperature. A single-laser absorption sensor was developed for accurate CO measurements in shock-heated gases by scanning the line pair v″=0, R(12) and v″=1, R(21) at 2.5 kHz. To capture the rapidly varying CO time-histories in chemical reactions, two different QC lasers were then used to probe the line-center absorbance of transitions v″=0, P(20) and v″=1, R(21) with a bandwidth of 1 MHz using fixed-wavelength direct absorption. The sensor was applied in successful shock tube measurements of temperature and CO time-histories during the pyrolysis and oxidation of methyl formate, illustrating the capability of this sensor for chemical kinetic studies.     

Design and analysis of the optical transceiver for mobile atmospheric laser communication

The concept of mobile atmospheric laser communication (MALC) is introduced in this paper. Atmospheric attenuation, turbulence-induced scintillation and beam wander cause deep fades in the beam power and degrade the optical channel. The optical transceiver presented in this paper is designed for a MALC test system. Currently achievable hardware performance capabilities for the MALC terminals are used as input parameters to the analysis. A novel optical transceiver structure is designed. Link margin is analyzed using the MALC analysis software, our optical link analysis program. Data rate, bit-error rate, prime transmit     

Measurements of high-pressure CO2 absorption near 2.0 μm and implications on tunable diode laser sensor design

A tunable diode laser (TDL) is used to measure the absorption spectra of the R46 through R54 transitions of the 20012←00001 band of CO₂ near 2.0 μm (5000 cm⁻¹) at room temperature and pressures to 10 atm (densities to 9.2 amagat). Spectra are recorded using direct absorption spectroscopy and wavelength modulation spectroscopy with second-harmonic detection (WMS-2f) in a mixture containing 11% CO₂ in air. The direct absorption spectra are influenced by non-Lorentzian effects including finite-duration collisions which perturb far-wing absorption, and an empirical χ-function correction to the Voigt line shape is shown to greatly reduce error in the spectral model. WMS-2f spectra are shown to be at least a factor of four less-influenced by non-Lorentzian effects in this region, making this approach more resistant to errors in the far-wing line shape model and allowing a comparison between the spectral parameters of HITRAN and a new database which includes pressure-induced shift coefficients. The implications of these measurements on practical, high-pressure CO₂ sensor design are discussed.     

Electromotive force of a COCO2 sensor in COCO2H2H2O atmospheres and simultaneous determination of partial pressures of CO and CO2

The electromotive force (EMF) of the COCO₂ sensor using Na₂CO₃ and NASICON (Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂) as solid electrolytes has been examined in COCO₂Ar atmospheres. The EMF is related to the partial pressures of CO and CO₂ and proportional to log(P²_CO2P⁻¹_CO). The simultaneous use of the oxygen sensor of stabilized zirconia gives the EMF proportional to log(P_CO2P⁻¹_CO). The EMF's of two sensors permit to determine individually partial pressures of CO and CO₂. The existence of H₂ with high concentration does not affect the EMF's. This fact proves the applicability of the two-sensor system to the monitoring and the controlling of reducing atmospheres in industrial processes.     

CO2 concentration and temperature sensor for combustion gases using diode-laser absorption near 2.7 μm

A new tunable diode-laser sensor based on CO₂ absorption near 2.7 μm is developed for high-resolution absorption measurements of CO₂ concentration and temperature. The sensor probes the R(28) and P(70) transitions of the ν₁+ν₃ combination band of CO₂ that has stronger absorption line-strengths than the bands near 1.5 μm and 2.0 μm used previously to sense CO₂ in combustion gases. The increased absorption strength of transitions in this new wavelength range provides greatly enhanced sensitivity and the potential for accurate measurements in combustion gases with short optical path lengths. Simulated high-temperature spectra are surveyed to find candidate CO₂ transitions isolated from water vapor interference. Measurements of line-strength, line position, and collisional broadening parameters are carried out for candidate CO₂ transitions in a heated static cell as a function of temperature and compared to literature values. The accuracy of a fixed-wavelength CO₂ absorption sensor is determined via measurement of known temperature and CO₂ mole fraction in a static cell and shock-tube. Absorption measurements of CO₂ are then made in a laboratory flat-flame burner and in ignition experiments of shock-heated n-heptane/O₂/argon mixtures to illustrate the potential of this sensor for combustion and reacting-flow applications. PACS 42.62.Fi; 42.55.Px; 07.07.Df     

Diode laser measurement of line strengths and air-broadening coefficients of CO2 and CO in the 1.57 μm region for combustion diagnostics

Spectral measurements of two line pairs of CO₂ and CO in the temperature range 300–1000 K at 1.573 µm were performed using a fiber-coupled distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser. The two line pairs can be used in a tunable diode laser (TDL) absorption sensor for simultaneously detecting CO₂ and CO gas in a single scan of the diode laser. The spectral parameters (line strengths, air-broadening coefficients and the temperature exponent n) of the two pairs are presented. The measured data agree well with existing databases (HITRAN 2004 and HITRAN 2008), the discrepancies being less than 5% for most of the probed transitions. Although the HITRAN database is a useful tool for sensor design, we found that laboratory measurements of the spectroscopic data for the line pair selected for high-temperature sensors are necessary for establishing the uncertainty for accurate measurements.     

Crystal growth,spectroscopic characteristics,and Judd–Ofelt analysis of Dy:Lu_2O_3 for yellow laser

Dy:Lu_2O_3 was grown by the float-zone(Fz) method. According to the absorption spectrum, the Judd–Ofelt(JO) parameters ?_2, ?_4, and ?_6 were calculated to be 4.86 × 10~(-20) cm~2, 2.02 × 10~(-20) cm~2, and 1.76 × 10~(-20) cm~2, respectively.The emission cross-section at 574 nm corresponding to the ~4F6_(9/2)→~6H_(13/2) transition was calculated to be 0.53 × 10~(-20) cm~2.The yellow(~4F_(9/2)→~6H_(13/2) transition) to blue(~4F_(9/2)→~6H_(15/2) transition) intensity ratio ranges up to 12.9. The fluorescence lifetime of the ~4F_(9/2) energy level was measured to be 112.1 μs. These results reveal that Dy:Lu_2O_3 is a promising material for use in yellow lasers.     

Coupling coefficient for TEA CO2 laser propulsion with variable pulse repetition rate

Because pulse repetition rate affected directly the momentum coupling coefficient of transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO2 laser propulsion, a double pulse trigger, controlling high voltage switch of laser excitation circuit, was designed. The pulse interval ranged between 5 and 100 ms. The momentum coupling coefficient for air-breathing mode laser propulsion was studied experimentally. It was found that the momentum coupling coefficient decreased with the pulse repetition rate increasing.     

Structural, spectroscopic and crystal field analyses of Ni2+ and?Co2+ doped Zn2SiO4 powders

In this paper we presented structural and spectroscopic study of zinc silicate powder samples doped with divalent nickel and cobalt ions. Results of the Rietveld structural refinement, combined with optical spectroscopic study and theoretical crystal field calculations, are presented and discussed. X-ray diffraction studies were performed to establish reliable structure of the doped samples; in this way the interionic distances and chemical bond angles in Zn₂SiO₄:Co²⁺ and Zn₂SiO₄:Ni²⁺ were calculated and are reported for the first time. The room temperature reflection spectra of the prepared samples were measured in a spectral region from 4000 to 50000 cm^?1. The exchange charge model of crystal field has been applied to analyze the experimental spectra and assign all observed details in the spectra to the corresponding electronic transitions between the Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ crystal field energy levels. The only input information for the model calculation was the experimentally obtained structural data, which were used for the calculations of the crystal field parameters with subsequent diagonalization of the crystal field Hamiltonian for both ions. Agreement between the calculated and experimentally detected energy levels of impurity ions was good. On the basis of the crystallographic and crystal field studies it was established that there exists a systematic trend of preferential occupation of one out of two possible crystallographic sites (namely, Zn2) for both impurity ions.     

Efficient solver for time-dependent Schr?dinger equation with interaction between atoms and strong laser field

We present a parallel numerical method of simulating the interaction of atoms with a strong laser field by solving the time-depending Schr?dinger equation(TDSE) in spherical coordinates. This method is realized by combining constructing block diagonal matrices through using the real space product formula(RSPF) with splitting out diagonal sub-matrices for short iterative Lanczos(SIL) propagator. The numerical implementation of the solver guarantees efficient parallel computing for the simulation of real physical problems such as high harmonic generation(HHG) in these interaction systems.     

High power 4.65 μm single-wavelength laser by second-harmonic generation of pulsed TEA CO2 laser in AgGaSe2 and ZnGeP2

A high power 4.65 ??m single-wavelength laser by second-harmonic generation (SHG) of TEA CO₂ laser pulses in silver gallium selenide (AgGaSe₂) and zinc germanium phosphide (ZnGeP₂) crystals is reported. Experimental results show that the average output power of SHG laser is not only restricted by the damage threshold of the nonlinear crystals, but also limited by the irradiated power of fundamental-wave laser depending on the operating repetition-rate. It is found that ZnGeP₂ can withstand higher 9.3 ??m laser irradiation intensity than AgGaSe₂. As a result, using a parallel array stacked by seven ZnGeP₂ crystals, an average power of 20.3 W 4.65 ??m laser is obtained at 250 Hz. To the best of our knowledge, it is the highest output power for SHG of CO₂ laser by far.     

Rapidly tuning miniature TEA CO2 laser – rotating mirror and grating mechanism

In this research, directed toward using differential absorption lidar (DIAL) for measuring concentrations of pollutant gases, a device for rapidly tuning a transversely excited atmospheric-pressure (TEA) CO₂ laser is presented. It is shown that it is possible to utilize a rotating six-sided scanning mirror and a fixed diffraction grating to rapidly switch wavelength over randomly selected lasing transitions in the 9–11 μm region of the spectrum. The scanning mirror and an optical encoder are driven by a hysteresis synchronous motor at a speed of 1500 rpm. A surface-wire-corona preionization was utilized in a cavity. The laser system is highly automated with microprocessor-controlled laser line selection. Single-branch emission at two wavelengths with time interval ⩽10 ms has been obtained from a single cavity TEA CO₂ laser. An accurate line selection has been demonstrated in over 40 transitions at a pulse repetition frequency of up to 100 Hz. The laser energy at first-order couple output was up to 20 mJ per pulse and the pulse width is about 60 ns in an active volume of 36 cm³.     

Sensitive detection of CO2 concentration and temperature for hot gases using quantum-cascade laser absorption spectroscopy near 4.2 μm

Mid-infrared quantum-cascade laser (QCL) absorption spectroscopy of CO₂ near 4.2 μm has been developed for measurement of temperature and concentration in hot gases. With stronger absorption line-strengths than transitions near 1.5, 2.0, and 2.7 μm used previously, the fundamental band (00⁰1–00⁰0) of CO₂ near 4.2 μm provides greatly enhanced sensitivity and accuracy to sense CO₂ in high-temperature gases. Line R(74) and line R(96) are chosen as optimum pair for sensitive temperature measurements due to their high-temperature sensitivity, equal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), weak interference of H₂O transitions, as well as relatively strong line-strengths in high temperature and weak absorption in room temperature. The high-resolution absorption spectrum of the far wings of the R-branch (R56–R100) in the fundamental vibrational band of CO₂ is measured in a heated cell over the range 2,384–2,396 cm^?1 at different temperatures from 700 to 1,200 K. Taking three factors into consideration, including SNR, concentration detectability, and uncertainty sensitivity, the absorption line R(74) is selected to calculate CO₂ concentration. The tunable QCL absorption sensor is validated in mixtures of CO₂ and N₂ in a static cell for temperature range of 700–1,200 K, achieving an accuracy of ±6 K for temperature and ±5 % for concentration measurements.     

Near infrared diode laser spectroscopy of C2H2, H2O, CO2 and their isotopologues and the application to TDLAS, a tunable diode laser spectrometer for the martian PHOBOS-GRUNT space mission

A near-infrared tunable diode laser spectrometer called TDLAS has been developed that combines telecommunication-type as well as new-generation antimonide laser diodes to measure C₂H₂, H₂O, CO₂ and their isotopologues in the near infrared. This sensor is devoted to the in situ analysis of the soil of the Martian satellite PHOBOS, within the framework of the Russian space mission PHOBOS-GRUNT. In the first part of the paper, we report accurate spectroscopic measurements of C₂H₂ and ¹³C¹²CH₂ near 1.533 μm, of H₂O and CO₂ at 2.682 μm and of the isotopologues ¹³C¹⁶O₂ and ¹⁶O¹²C¹⁸O near 2.041 μm and H₂ ¹⁷O, H₂ ¹⁸O and HDO near 2.642 μm. The achieved line strengths are thoroughly compared to data from molecular databases or from former experimental determinations. In the second part of the paper, we describe the TDLAS spectrometer for the PHOBOS-GRUNT mission.     

Metallic hollow waveguide based on GeO2–NaOH precursor solution for transmission of CO2 laser radiations

Optical and Quantum Electronics - This paper presents a highly efficient method based on finite impulse response filtering and Fourier transform techniques to solve the eigen-problems, especially...     

Definition and measurement of the beam propagation factor M~2 for chromatic laser beams

The concept of the beam propagation factor M2 is extended for chromatic laser beams. The definition of the beam propagation factor can be generalized with the weighted effective wavelength. Using the new definition of factor M2, the propagation of chromatic beams can be analyzed by the beam propagation factor M2 as same as that of monochromatic beams. A simple method to measure the chromatic beam factor M2 is demonstrated. The chromatic factor M2 is found invariable while the laser beam propagates through the dispersion-free ABCD system.     

A mid-infrared scanned-wavelength laser absorption sensor for carbon monoxide and temperature measurements from 900 to 4000 K

Mid-infrared laser absorption sensors based on quantum cascade laser (QCL) technology offer the potential for high-sensitivity, selective, and high-speed measurements of temperature and concentration for species of interest in high-temperature environments, such as those found in combustion devices. A new mid-infrared QCL absorption sensor for carbon monoxide and temperature measurements has been developed near the intensity peak of the CO fundamental band at 4.6 μm, providing orders-of-magnitude greater sensitivity than the overtone bands accessible with telecommunications lasers. The sensor is capable of probing the R(9), R(10), R(17), and R(18) transitions of the CO fundamental ro-vibrational band which are located at frequencies where H₂O and CO₂ spectral interference is minimal. Temperature measurements are made via scanned-wavelength two-line ratio techniques using either the R(9) and R(17) or the R(10) and R(18) line pairs. The high-speed (1–2 kHz) scanned-wavelength sensor is demonstrated in room-temperature gas cell measurements of CO and, to demonstrate the potential of the sensor for high-temperature thermometry, in shock-heated gases containing CO for a very wide range of temperature (950–3500 K) near 1 atm. To our knowledge, these measurements represent the first use of QCL-based absorption sensor for thermometry at elevated combustion-like temperatures. The high-temperature measurements of CO mole fraction and temperature agree with the post-reflected-shock conditions within ±1.5% and ±1.2% (1σ deviation), respectively.     

Coupled cluster ab initio potential energy surfaces for CO… He and CO… H2

Ab initio potential energy surfaces including the vibrational coordinate dependence are presented for CO… He and CO… H₂ using the coupled cluster method with Brueckner orbitals. The interaction energy is calculated using the supermolecule approach. The calculation of rate constants for the vibrational relaxation of CO(v = 1) by He and their comparison with the experimentally measured values over the temperature range 40–300 K is used to test the accuracy of the CO… He surface. Comparison with results from an earlier surface calculated by symmetry adapted perturbation theory shows that the two surfaces have similar scattering characteristics and reproduce the experimental measurements to a similar level of accuracy. The potential surface for the CO… H₂ system is presented as raw data in anticipation of future calculations.