Cavity ring-down spectroscopy: Today and tomorrow

ANYL 186

Kevin K. Lehmann, Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, McCormick Road P.O. Box 400319, Charlottesville, VA 22904
Cavity ring-down spectroscopy “came of age” in 2001 with Tiger Optics' introduction of the MTO-1000, the first commercial CRDS-based instrument. Based upon use of continuous wave lasers for excitation (US patent #5,528,040), the MTO offers a robust platform that requires no on site adjustment of any optical components. Since then, Tiger has sold hundreds of analyzers worldwide to a range of industries, with 70% sales from repeat buyers. In this talk, key features of the Tiger analyzers will be discussed, as well as two new CRDS projects currently underway at UVa. These are: (1) Development of an analyzer for total small hydrocarbons concentration by conversion of alkanes to methane, which we can detect at sub-ppb levels. (2) Development of a two octave bandwidth CRDS instrument (~500-2000 nm) based upon continuum generation and Brewster's angle prisms as low loss retroreflectors.