A Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Laser Ultra-Sensitive Trace Formaldehyde Detection System Based on Improved Dual-Incidence Multipass Gas Cell

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a tracer of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and its concentration has gradually decreased with the reduction in VOC emissions in recent years, which puts forward higher requirements for the detection of trace HCHO. Therefore, a quantum cascade laser (QCL) with a central excitation wavelength of 5.68 μm was applied to detect the trace HCHO under an effective absorption optical pathlength of 67 m. An improved, dual-incidence multi-pass cell, with a simple structure and easy adjustment, was designed to further improve the absorption optical pathlength of the gas. The instrument detection sensitivity of 28 pptv (1σ) was achieved within a 40 s response time. The experimental results show that the developed HCHO detection system is almost unaffected by the cross interference of common atmospheric gases and the change of ambient humidity. Additionally, the instrument was successfully deployed in a field campaign, and it delivered results that correlated well with those of a commercial instrument based on continuous wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (R² = 0.967), which indicates that the instrument has a good ability to monitor ambient trace HCHO in unattended continuous operation for long periods of time.

Field observations and quantifications of atmospheric formaldehyde partitioning in gaseous and particulate phases

Formaldehyde (HCHO) can possibly be taken by atmospheric particles due to its moderate solubility. Although previous model studies have proposed that uptake by particles was a large sink for HCHO, direct observation of HCHO partitioning and estimation of HCHO uptake coefficient (γ) for tropospheric conditions are still limited. In this work, online measurements of gaseous HCHO (HCHO_g) and particulate HCHO (HCHO_p) were carried out simultaneously at an urban site in Beijing in winter and spring. The results indicated that the average concentrations of HCHO_p ranged from 0.15 to 0.4 μg m^-3, accounting for 1.2% to 10% of the total HCHO (i.e., HCHO_g + HCHO_p). The median values of estimated γ based on the measured data were in the range of about 1.09 ∗ 10^-5-2.42 ∗ 10^-4, with lower values during PM_2.5 pollution episodes. Besides, the pH and liquid water content of aerosols that are mainly determined by ambient relative humidity (RH) and inorganic salt composition were identified as the main influencing factors of γ. We propose that the HCHO uptake process was mainly driven by hydrone and hydrogen ions in particles.

Advances in mid-infrared spectroscopy enabled by supercontinuum laser sources

Supercontinuum sources are all-fiber pulsed laser-driven systems that provide high power spectral densities within ultra-broadband spectral ranges. The tailored process of generating broadband, bright, and spectrally flat supercontinua-through a complex interplay of linear and non-linear processes-has been recently pushed further towards longer wavelengths and has evolved enough to enter the field of mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy. In this work, we review the current state and perspectives of this technology that offers laser-like emission properties and instantaneous broadband spectral coverage comparable to thermal emitters. We aim to go beyond a literature review. Thus, we first discuss the basic principles of supercontinuum sources and then provide an experimental part focusing on the quantification and analysis of intrinsic emission properties such as typical power spectral densities, brightness levels, spectral stability, and beam quality (to the best of the authors' knowledge, the M² factor for a mid-IR supercontinuum source is characterized for the first time). On this basis, we identify key competitive advantages of these alternative emitters for mid-IR spectroscopy over state-of-the-art technologies such as thermal sources or quantum cascade lasers. The specific features of supercontinuum radiation open up prospects of improving well-established techniques in mid-IR spectroscopy and trigger developments of novel analytical methods and instrumentation. The review concludes with a structured summary of recent advances and applications in various routine mid-IR spectroscopy scenarios that have benefited from the use of supercontinuum sources.

Optical detection of formaldehyde in air in the 3.6 µm range

The optical detector of formaldehyde designed for sensing cancer biomarkers in air exhaled from human lungs with possible application in free atmosphere is described. The measurements were performed at wavelengths ranging from 3595.77-3596.20 nm. It was stated that at the pressure of 0.01 atm this absorption band exhibits the best immunity to typical interferents that might occur at high concentration in human breath. Multipass absorption spectroscopy was also applied. The method of optical fringes quenching by wavelength modulation and signal averaging over the interferences period was presented. The application of such approaches enabled the detection limit of about single ppb to be achieved.

Dual quantum cascade laser trace gas instrument with astigmatic Herriott cell at high pass number

We have developed and demonstrated a high-sensitivity trace gas instrument employing two mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers and an astigmatic Herriott sample cell with up to a 240 m path length. Several aspects of astigmatic Herriott cell optics have been addressed to enable operation at a high pass number (up to 554), including aberrations and pattern selection to minimize interference fringes. The new instrument design, based on the 200 m cell, can measure various atmospheric trace gases, depending on the installed lasers, with multiple trace gases measured simultaneously. Demonstrated concentration noise levels (1 s average) are 40 parts per trillion [(ppt) 10(-12)] for formaldehyde, 10 ppt for carbonyl sulfide, 110 ppt for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and 180 ppt for nitrous acid (HONO). High-precision measurements of nitrous oxide and methane have been recorded at the same time as high-sensitivity measurements of HONO and H2O2.

Open path atmospheric spectroscopy using room temperature operated pulsed quantum cascade laser

We report the application of a distributed feedback quantum cascade laser for 5.8 km long open path spectroscopic monitoring of ozone, water vapor and CO(2). The thermal chirp during a 140 or 200 ns long excitation pulse is used for fast wavelength scanning. The fast wavelength scanning has the advantage of the measured spectra not being affected by atmospheric turbulence, which is essential for long open path measurements. An almost linear tuning of about 0.6 and 1.2 cm(-1) is achieved, respectively. Lines from the nu(3) vibrational band of the ozone spectra centered at 1,031 and 1,049 cm(-1) is used for ozone detection by differential absorption. The lowest column densities (LCD) for ozone of the order of 0.3 ppmm retrieved from the absorption spectra for averaging times less than 20s are better then the LCD value of 2 ppmm measured with UV DOAS systems. The intrinsic haze immunity of mid-IR laser sources is an additional important advantage of mid-IR open path spectroscopy, compared with standard UV-vis DOAS. The third major advantage of the method is the possibility to measure more inorganic and organic atmospheric species compared to the UV-vis DOAS.