Development of a compact cavity-ringdown spectrometer using a PPLN-based OPG/OPA lightsource

Summary form only given. Cavity-ringdown laser absorption spectroscopy (CRLAS) is a powerful technique for quantifying weak absorptions in gases. It is performed by injecting laser light into a high-finesse optical cavity containing the gas and monitoring the rate of loss of the radiation from the cavity. Measurement of loss as a function of the laser wavelength provides an absorption spectrum of the gas sample. This paper describes the performance of an analytical instrument that uses CRLAS for quantitative gas measurements in the mid-IR. This device differs from past CRLAS systems in its use of a novel mid-IR light source based on periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN).