title: Thermoelectrically cooled quantum-cascade-laser-based sensor for the continuous monitoring of ambient atmospheric carbon monoxide.
abstract: We report the first application of a thermoelectrically cooled, distributed-feedback quantum-cascade laser for continuous spectroscopic monitoring of CO in ambient air at a wavelength of 4.6 microm. A noise-equivalent detection limit of 12 parts per billion was demonstrated experimentally with a 102-cm optical pathlength and a 2.5-min data acquisition time at a 10-kHz pulsed-laser repetition rate. This sensitivity corresponds to a standard error in fractional absorbance of 3 x 10(-5).
authors.affiliation: Rice Quantum Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251-1892, USA. akoster@rice.edu
authors.forename: Anatoliy A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kosterev
authors.forename: Frank K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Tittel
authors.forename: Rüdeger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gmachl
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capasso
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sivco
authors.forename: Alfred Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wehe
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004560:Electricity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007834:Lasers; D008962:Models, Theoretical
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide