Simple, stable, and compact multiple-reflection optical cell for very long optical paths.
A new type of multiple-reflection optical cell is presented. One of the main advantages of this type of cell is that it can be made of standard mirrors without particular tolerance while allowing a great number of reflections and thus a large optical path, only limited by the reflection coefficient of the mirrors. The configuration is simple, compact, stable, and cheap. This cell consists of three mirrors as in a White cell but its principle is different. It behaves as a multiplier of a Herriott cell from which it inherits the opto-mechanical stability qualities. The Herriott cell and the White cell are two particular cases of this type of cell. As examples, a demonstrator and an absorption cell contained in a volume of 5 l are presented. The first device is usable with a laser in visible light. The second device is usable with an infrared laser diode for the detection of atmospheric trace species.
Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement (LPCE), Unité Mixte Recherche 6115, CNRS-Université d'Orléans, 3A, Avenue de la Recherche Scientifique, 45071 Orléans Cedex 2, France. claude.robert@cnrs-orleans.fr
Claude
C
Robert