Sub-part-per-billion monitoring of nitric oxide by use of wavelength modulation spectroscopy in combination with a thermoelectrically cooled, continuous-wave quantum cascade laser

Sensitive detection of NO using a compact portable CW DFB-QCL-based WMS sensor

This paper introduces a compact and portable sensor based on mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy for NO detection employing a room-temperature continuous wave (CW) distributed feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) emitting at 1900.08cm^-1. A software-based digital signal generator and lock-in amplifier, in combination with the wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) technique, were used for the concentration measurement of NO. In addition, a Gabor filter denoising method was developed to improve the performance of the measurement system. As a result, a minimum detection limit of 42 ppbv can be achieved at 3 s integration time, and a measurement precision of 450 ppbv can be reached with a time resolution of 0.1 s. The performance of the compact portable sensor was verified by a series of experiments, denoting great potential of field application for sensitive NO sensing.

Sensitive multi-species trace gas sensor based on a high repetition rate mid-infrared supercontinuum source

We present a multi-species trace gas sensor based on a high-repetition-rate mid-infrared supercontinuum source, in combination with a 30 m multipass absorption cell, and a scanning grating spectrometer. The output of the spectrometer is demodulated by a digital lock-in amplifier, referenced to the repetition rate of the supercontinuum source. This improved the detection sensitivity of the system by a factor 5, as compared to direct baseband operation. The spectrometer provides a spectral coverage of 950 cm^-1 (between 2.85-3.90 µm) with a resolution of 2.5 cm^-1 in 100 ms. It can achieve noise equivalent detection limits in the order of 100 ppbv Hz^-1/2 for various hydrocarbons, alcohols, and aldehydes.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum-based upconversion detection for trace gas sensing

Recent advancements of mid-infrared (MIR) supercontinuum light sources have opened up new possibilities in laser-based trace gas sensing. While the supercontinuum sources inherently support wide spectral coverage, the detection of broadband absorption signals with high speed and low cost is traditionally limited by the MIR detector arrays. In this work, we demonstrate that this limitation can be circumvented by upconverting the MIR signal into the near-infrared (NIR) region, where cost-effective silicon-based detector arrays can be utilized to measure broadband absorption. We also show that, by combining a MIR supercontinuum source with a MIR-to-NIR upconverter and an astigmatic multipass cell, fast detection (~20 ms) of ethane with sub-ppmv sensitivity can be achieved at room temperature. For multi-species detection, a least-square global fitting method is presented, showing a promising potential for applications such as environmental monitoring and biomedical research.

Quantum Cascade Lasers-Based Detection of Nitric Oxide

Despite the established importance of nitric oxide (NO) in many physiological and molecular processes in plants, most methods for quantifying NO are open to criticism This reflects the differing methods either lacking specificity or sensitivity, or even from an undue dependence of results on experimental conditions (i.e., chemical concentrations, pH, etc.). In this chapter we describe a protocol to measure gaseous NO produced by a biological sample using quantum cascade laser (QCL)-based spectroscopy. This technique is based on absorption of the laser light by the NO molecules which have been passed from a biological sample into an optical s cell that is equipped with two mirrors placed at both ends. This design greatly increases the interaction path length with the NO molecules due to multiple reflections of the light coupled inside the cell. Thus, the method is able to provide online, in planta measurements of the dynamics of NO production, being highly selective and sensitive (down to ppbv levels;1 ppbv = part per billion by volume mixing ratio = 1:10^-9).

Intracavity Faraday modulation spectroscopy (INFAMOS): A tool for radical detection

We present the intra-cavity Faraday modulation spectroscopy technique, whereby optical feedback cavity-enhanced spectroscopy is coupled with Faraday modulation spectroscopy to greatly enhance the interaction path length of a laser beam with a paramagnetic sample in a magnetic field. We describe a first prototype based upon a cw quantum cascade laser targeting a selection of fundamental rovibrational R-branch transitions of nitric oxide (1890 cm^-1), consisting of a linear cavity (finesse F=6300) and a water-cooled solenoid. We demonstrate a minimum detectable Verdet constant of V_min=4.7×10^-14 rad cm^-1 G^-1 Hz^-1/2 (at SNR = 1), corresponding to a single-pass rotation angle of 1.6×10^-10 rad Hz^-1/2 and a limit of detection of 0.21 ppbv Hz^-1/2 NO.

Purely wavelength- and amplitude-modulated quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy

We report here on a quartz-enhanced photoacoustic (QEPAS) sensor employing a quantum cascade laser (QCL) structure capable of operating in a pure amplitude or wavelength modulation configuration. The QCL structure is composed of three electrically independent sections: Gain, Phase (PS) and Master Oscillator (MO). Selective current pumping of these three sections allows obtaining laser wavelength tuning without changes in the optical power, and power modulation without emission wavelength shifts. A pure QEPAS amplitude modulation condition is obtained by modulating the PS current, while pure wavelength modulation is achieved by modulating simultaneously the MO and PS QCL sections and slowly scanning the DC current level injected in the PS section.

Precision atomic beam density characterization by diode laser absorption spectroscopy

We provide experimental and theoretical details of a simple technique to determine absolute line-of-sight integrated atomic beam densities based on resonant laser absorption. In our experiments, a thermal lithium beam is chopped on and off while the frequency of a laser crossing the beam at right angles is scanned slowly across the resonance transition. A lock-in amplifier detects the laser absorption signal at the chop frequency from which the atomic density is determined. The accuracy of our experimental method is confirmed using the related technique of wavelength modulation spectroscopy. For beams which absorb of order 1% of the incident laser light, our measurements allow the beam density to be determined to an accuracy better than 5% and with a precision of 3% on a time scale of order 1 s. Fractional absorptions of order 10^-5 are detectable on a one-minute time scale when we employ a double laser beam technique which limits laser intensity noise. For a lithium beam with a thickness of 9 mm, we have measured atomic densities as low as 5 × 10⁴ atoms cm^-3. The simplicity of our technique and the details we provide should allow our method to be easily implemented in most atomic or molecular beam apparatuses.

Laser-Based Methods for Detection of Nitric Oxide in Plants

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in plant signaling and in response to various stress conditions. Therefore, real-time measurements of NO production provide better insights into understanding plant processes and can help developing strategies to improve food production and postharvest quality. Using laser-based spectroscopic methods, sensitive, online, in planta measurements of plant-pathogen interactions are possible. This chapter introduces the basic principle of the optical detectors using different laser sources for accurate monitoring of fast dynamic changes of NO production. Several applications are also presented to demonstrate the suitability of these detectors for detection of NO in plants.

Real-time calibration of laser absorption spectrometer using spectral correlation performed with an in-line gas cell

A real-time drift correction and calibration method using spectral correlation based on a revolving in-line gas cell for laser-based spectroscopic trace-gas measurements has been developed and evaluated experimentally. This technique is relatively simple to implement in laser spectroscopy systems and assures long-term stability of trace-gas measurements by minimizing the effects of external sources of drift in real-time. Spectroscopic sensitivity sufficient for environmental monitoring and effective drift suppression has been achieved for long-term measurements of CO₂ with a quantum cascade laser based spectrometer.

Methods of NO detection in exhaled breath

There is still an unexplored potential for exhaled nitric oxide (NO) in many clinical applications. This study presents an overview of the currently available methods for monitoring NO in exhaled breath and the use of the modelling of NO production and transport in the lung in clinical practice. Three technologies are described, namely chemiluminescence, electrochemical sensing and laser-based detection with their advantages and limitations. Comparisons are made in terms of sensitivity, time response, size, costs and suitability for clinical purposes. The importance of the flow rate for NO sampling is discussed from the perspective of the recent recommendations for standardized procedures for online and offline NO measurement. The measurement of NO at one flow rate, such as 50 ml s(-1), can neither determine the alveolar site/peripheral contribution nor quantify the difference in NO diffusion from the airways walls. The use of NO modelling (linear or non-linear approach) can solve this problem and provide useful information about the source of NO. This is of great value in diagnostic procedures of respiratory diseases and in treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs.

Temperature measurements in a rapid compression machine using mid-infrared H2O absorption spectroscopy near 7.6 μm

A method for measuring the temporal temperature and number density in a rapid compression machine (RCM) using quantum cascade laser absorption spectroscopy near 7.6 μm is developed and presented in this paper. The ratios of H(2)O absorption peaks at 1316.55 cm(-1) and 1316.97 cm(-1) are used for these measurements. In order to isolate the effects of chemical reactions, an inert mixture of argon with 2.87% water vapor is used for the present investigation. The end of compression pressures and temperatures in the RCM measurements are P(C)=10, 15, and 20 bar in the range of T(C)=1000 to 1200 K. The measured temperature history is compared with that calculated based on the adiabatic core assumption and is found to be within ±5 K. The measured temporal number density of H(2)O to an accuracy of 1%, using the absolute absorption of the two rovibrational lines, show that the mixture is highly uniform in temperature. A six-pass, 5.08 cm Herriott cell is used to calibrate the line strengths in air and broadening in an Ar bath gas.

Methods of nitric oxide detection in plants: a commentary

Over the last decade nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to influence a range of processes in plants. However, when, where and even if NO production occurs is controversial in several physiological scenarios in plants. This arises from a series of causes: (a) doubts have arisen over the specificity of widely used 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate (DAF-2DA)/4-amino-5-methylamino-2,7-difluorofluorescein (DAF-FM) dyes for NO, (b) no plant nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has been cloned, so that the validity of using mammalian NOS inhibitors to demonstrate that NO is being measured is debatable, (c) the NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-l-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO) needs to be used with caution, and (d) some discrepancies between assays for in planta measurements and another based on sampling NO from the gas phase have been reported. This review will outline some commonly used methods to determine NO, attempt to reconcile differing results obtained by different laboratories and suggest appropriate approaches to unequivocally demonstrate the production of NO.

Quantum cascade laser technology for the ultrasensitive detection of low-level nitric oxide

Several spectroscopic methods based on mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers for the ultrasensitive detection of nitric oxide have been developed with detection limit in ppbv and sub-ppbv range. We will describe here a selection of the most effective techniques, i.e., laser absorption spectroscopy, cavity-enhanced spectroscopy, photoacoustic spectroscopy, and Faraday modulation spectroscopy. For each technique, advantages and drawbacks will be underlined.

Faraday modulation spectrometry of nitric oxide addressing its electronic X2Π - A2Σ+ band: II. Experiment

A first demonstration of Faraday modulation spectrometry (FAMOS) of nitric oxide (NO) addressing its strong electronic X(2)Π(ν″ = 0) - A(2)Σ(+)(ν(') = 0) band is presented. The instrumentation was constructed around a fully diode-laser-based laser system producing mW powers of ultraviolet light targeting the overlapping Q(22)(21/2) and R(12)Q(21/2) transitions at ∼226.6 nm. The work verifies a new two-transition model of FAMOS addressing the electronic transitions in NO given in an accompanying work. Although the experimental instrumentation could address neither the parameter space of the theory nor the optimum conditions, the line shapes and the pressure dependence could be verified under low-field conditions. NO could be detected down to a partial pressure of 13 µTorr, roughly corresponding to 10 ppb·m for an atmospheric pressure sample, which demonstrates the feasibility of FAMOS for sensitive detection of NO addressing its strong electronic band.

Optical parametric oscillator based off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy for rapid chemical sensing

An optical parametric oscillator (OPO), pumped by a fiber-amplified diode laser, is combined with off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS). The cw OPO (power 1.2 W, tunability 3-4 μm, 5 cm(-1) mode-hop-free tuning) has a tuning speed of 100 THz/s, which is ideal for rapid and sensitive trace gas detection. Combined with OA-ICOS, a detection limit of 50 parts per trillion by volume (1×10(12)) of ethane (C(2)H(6)) in nitrogen was obtained in 0.25s at 2997 cm(-1), corresponding to a noise equivalent absorption sensitivity of 4.8×10(-11) cm(-1) Hz(-1/2). The system demonstrates real-time measurements of methane and water in exhaled human breath.

A quantum cascade laser cw cavity ringdown spectrometer coupled to a supersonic expansion source

A new instrument has been constructed that couples a supersonic expansion source to a continuous wave cavity ringdown spectrometer using a Fabry-Perot quantum cascade laser (QCL). The purpose of the instrument is to enable the acquisition of a cold, rotationally resolved gas phase spectrum of buckminsterfullerene (C(60)). As a first test of the system, high resolution spectra of the nu(8) vibrational band of CH(2)Br(2) have been acquired at approximately 1197 cm(-1). To our knowledge, this is the first time that a vibrational band not previously recorded with rotational resolution has been acquired with a QCL-based ringdown spectrometer. 62 transitions of the three isotopologues of CH(2)Br(2) were assigned and fit to effective Hamiltonians with a standard deviation of 14 MHz, which is smaller than the laser frequency step size. The spectra have a noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 1.4 x 10(-8) cm(-1). Spectral simulations of the band indicate that the supersonic source produces rotationally cold (approximately 7 K) molecules.

Breath analysis using laser spectroscopic techniques: breath biomarkers, spectral fingerprints, and detection limits

Breath analysis, a promising new field of medicine and medical instrumentation, potentially offers noninvasive, real-time, and point-of-care (POC) disease diagnostics and metabolic status monitoring. Numerous breath biomarkers have been detected and quantified so far by using the GC-MS technique. Recent advances in laser spectroscopic techniques and laser sources have driven breath analysis to new heights, moving from laboratory research to commercial reality. Laser spectroscopic detection techniques not only have high-sensitivity and high-selectivity, as equivalently offered by the MS-based techniques, but also have the advantageous features of near real-time response, low instrument costs, and POC function. Of the approximately 35 established breath biomarkers, such as acetone, ammonia, carbon dioxide, ethane, methane, and nitric oxide, 14 species in exhaled human breath have been analyzed by high-sensitivity laser spectroscopic techniques, namely, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS), cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS), integrated cavity output spectroscopy (ICOS), cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (CEAS), cavity leak-out spectroscopy (CALOS), photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS), and optical frequency comb cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy (OFC-CEAS). Spectral fingerprints of the measured biomarkers span from the UV to the mid-IR spectral regions and the detection limits achieved by the laser techniques range from parts per million to parts per billion levels. Sensors using the laser spectroscopic techniques for a few breath biomarkers, e.g., carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, etc. are commercially available. This review presents an update on the latest developments in laser-based breath analysis.

Ultrasensitive detection of nitric oxide at 5.33 microm by using external cavity quantum cascade laser-based Faraday rotation spectroscopy

A transportable prototype Faraday rotation spectroscopic system based on a tunable external cavity quantum cascade laser has been developed for ultrasensitive detection of nitric oxide (NO). A broadly tunable laser source allows targeting the optimum Q(3/2)(3/2) molecular transition at 1875.81 cm(-1) of the NO fundamental band. For an active optical path of 44 cm and 1-s lock-in time constant minimum NO detection limits (1sigma) of 4.3 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) and 0.38 ppbv are obtained by using a thermoelectrically cooled mercury-cadmium-telluride photodetector and liquid nitrogen-cooled indium-antimonide photodetector, respectively. Laboratory performance evaluation and results of continuous, unattended monitoring of atmospheric NO concentration levels are reported.

Laser-based systems for trace gas detection in life sciences

Infrared gas phase spectroscopy is becoming very common in many life science applications. Here we present three types of trace gas detection systems based on CO2 laser and continuous wave (cw) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) in combination with photoacoustic spectroscopy and cw quantum cascade laser (QCL) in combination with wavelength modulation spectroscopy. Examples are included to illustrate the suitability of CO2 laser system to monitor in real time ethylene emission from various dynamic processes in plants and microorganisms as well as from car exhausts. The versatility of an OPO-based detector is demonstrated by simultaneous detection of 13C-methane and 12C-methane (at 3240 nm) at similar detection limits of 0.1 parts per billion by volume. Recent progress on a QCL-based spectrometer using a continuous wave QCL (output power 25 mW, tuning range of 1891–1908 cm-1) is presented and a comparison is made to a standard chemiluminescence instrument for analysis of NO in exhaled breath.

NO detection in biological samples: differentiation of 14 NO and 15 NO using infrared laser spectroscopy

Accurate characterization of the biochemical pathways of nitric oxide (NO) is essential for investigations in the field of NO research. To analyze the different reaction pathways of enzymatic and non-enzymatic NO formation, determination of the source of NO is crucial. Measuring NO-related products in biological samples distinguishing between (14)NO and (15)NO offers the opportunity to specifically analyze NO signaling in blood and tissue. The aim of this study was to establish a highly sensitive technique for the specific measurement of NO in an isotopologue-selective manner in biological samples. With the cavity leak-out spectroscopy setup (CALOS) a differentiation between (14)NO and (15)NO is feasible. We describe here the employment of this method for measurements in biological samples. Certified gas mixtures of (14)NO/N(2) and (15)NO/N(2) were used to calibrate the system. (14)NO2- and (15)NO2- of aqueous and biological samples were reduced in a triiodide solution, and the NO released was detected via CALOS. Gas-phase chemiluminescence detection (CLD) was used for evaluation. The correlation received for both methods for the detection of NO in the gas phase was r=0.999, p<0.0001. Results obtained using aqueous and biological samples verified that CALOS enables NO measurements with high accuracy (detection limit for (14)NO2- 0.3 pmol and (15)NO2- 0.5 pmol; correlation (14)NO: p<0.0001, r=0.975, (15)NO: p<0.0001, r=0.969). The CALOS assay represents an extension of NO measurements in biological samples, allowing specific investigations of enzymatic and non-enzymatic NO formation and metabolism in a variety of samples.

Performance of an exhaled nitric oxide and carbon dioxide sensor using quantum cascade laser-based integrated cavity output spectroscopy

Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) is an important biomarker in asthma and other respiratory disorders. The optical performance of a NOCO(2) sensor employing integrated cavity output spectroscopy (ICOS) with a quantum cascade laser operating at 5.22 microm capable of real-time NO and CO(2) measurements in a single breath cycle is reported. A NO noise-equivalent concentration of 0.4 ppb within a 1-sec integration time is achieved. The off-axis ICOS sensor performance is compared to a chemiluminescent NO analyzer and a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) CO(2) absorption capnograph. Differences between the gas analyzers are assessed by the Bland-Altman method to estimate the expected variability between the gas sensors. The off-axis ICOS sensor measurements are in good agreement with the data acquired with the two commercial gas analyzers. This work demonstrates the performance characteristics and merits of mid-infrared spectroscopy for exhaled breath analysis.

Characterization of a near-room-temperature, continuous-wave quantum cascade laser for long-term, unattended monitoring of nitric oxide in the atmosphere

We report on power, spectral linewidth, and mode purity for a cw 5.3 microm quantum cascade laser operated on a thermo-electric cooler. A totally noncryogenic nitric oxide monitor was constructed by integrating this laser with an astigmatic multipass cell and a thermo-electrically cooled infrared detector. The resulting instrument is capable of continuous unattended monitoring of ambient, atmospheric nitric oxide for several weeks with no operator intervention. The detection method was rapid sweep, direct absorption spectroscopy. A detection sensitivity of 0.03 parts in 10(9) is achieved with 30 s averaging time with a path length of 210 m, corresponding to an absorbance path length product of 1.5 x 10(-10) cm(-1).