title: Elimination of residual amplitude modulation in tunable diode laser wavelength modulation spectroscopy using an optical fiber delay line.
abstract: A new fiber-optic technique to eliminate residual amplitude modulation in tunable diode laser wavelength modulation spectroscopy is presented. The modulated laser output is split to pass in parallel through the gas measurement cell and an optical fiber delay line, with the modulation frequency / delay chosen to introduce a relative phase shift of pi between them. The two signals are balanced using a variable attenuator and recombined through a fiber coupler. In the absence of gas, the direct laser intensity modulation cancels, thereby eliminating the high background. The presence of gas induces a concentration-dependent imbalance at the coupler's output from which the absolute absorption profile is directly recovered with high accuracy using 1f detection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom. arup@eee.strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: Arup Lal
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ruxton
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lengden
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Duffin
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*