Finesse measurement for high-power optical enhancement cavity

Finesse is a critical parameter for describing the characteristics of an optical enhancement cavity(OEC). This paper first presents a review of finesse measurement techniques, including a comparative analysis of the advantages, disadvantages, and potential limitations of several main methods from both theoretical and practical perspectives. A variant of the existing method called the free spectral range(FSR) modulation method is proposed and compared with three other finesse measurement methods, i.e., the fast-switching cavity ring-down(CRD) method, the rapidly swept-frequency(SF) CRD method, and the ringing effect method. A high-power OEC platform with a high finesse of approximately 16000 is built and measured with the four methods. The performance of these methods is compared, and the results show that the FSR modulation method and the fast-switching CRD method are more suitable and accurate than the other two methods for high-finesse OEC measurements. The CRD method and the ringing effect method can be implemented in open loop using simple equipment and are easy to perform. Additionally, recommendations for selecting finesse measurement methods under different conditions are proposed, which benefit the development of OEC and its applications.

High-sensitivity methane monitoring based on quasi-fundamental mode matched continuous-wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy

Continuous-wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy(CW-CRDS)is an important technical means to monitor greenhouse gases in atmospheric environment.In this paper,a CW-CRDS system is built to meet the needs of atmospheric methane monitoring.The problem of mode matching is explained from the perspective of transverse mode and longitudinal mode,and the influence of laser injection efficiency on measurement precision is further analyzed.The results of cavity ring-down time measurement show that the measurement precision is higher when the laser is coupled with the fundamental mode.In the experiment,DFB laser is used to calibrate the system with standard methane concentration,and the measurement residual is less than±4×10^(-4)μs^(-1).The methane concentration in the air is monitored in real time for two days.The results show the consistency of the concentration changes over the two days,which further demonstrates the reliability of the system for the measurement of trace methane.By analyzing the influence of mode matching,it not only assists the adjustment of the optical path,but also further improves the sensitivity of the system measurement.

Measurement of OH Radicals in Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasmas by Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

Near-infrared continuous wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy was applied to mea- sure the OH radicals in dielectric barrier discharge plasmas, which play an important role in combustion systems, atmospheric chemistry and the removal of air pollutants by non-thermal plasmas. The P-branches of OH X2YIi （vI ： 2 ＋-- it 0） bands were used for number density measurements. The OH number density and plasma temperature were determined for different applied voltages, gas pressures and concentrations of both oxygen and water. The temporal evolu- tion of the OH number density was obtained by using the ＂time window＂ method, which was used to extract individual ring-down times at different times in a half period of the sine wave applied voltage in dielectric barrier discharge plasmas.

Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy Measurements of Ambient NO3 and N2O5

NO3 and N2O5 are important participants in nocturnal atmospheric chemical processes,and their concentrations are of great significance in the study of the mechanism of nocturnal atmospheric chemical reactions.A two-channel diode laser based cavity ring-down spectroscopy(CRDS)instrument was developed to monitor the concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 in the atmosphere.The effective absorption length ratio and the total loss coefficient of the instrument were calibrated using laboratory standard samples.The effective absorption cross section of NO3 at 662 nm was derived.A detection sensitivity of 1.1 pptv NO3 in air was obtained at a time resolution of 1 s.N2O5 was converted to NO3 and detected online in the second CRDS channel.The instrument was used to monitor the concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 in the atmosphere of winter in Hefei in real time.By comparing the concentration changes of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides,ozone,PM2:5 in a rapid air cleaning process,the factors affecting the concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 in the atmosphere were discussed.

Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy Measurements of Trace H_(2)S in SF_(6) and SF_(6)/N_(2) Mixture

H_(2)S is one of the most important characteristic decomposition components of SF_(6)insulated gas,and the detection of trace H_(2)S is significant for early fault diagnosis of gas insulated electrical equipment.A 1578 nm wavelength distributed feedback diode laser(DFB-DL)based cavity ring-down spectroscopy(CRDS)experimental platform is developed to monitor the concentrations of H_(2)S in SF_(6)and SF_(6)/N_(2)mixture carrier gas.The detection sensitivity is higher than 1×10^(-6).The absorption cross section parameterσis vital for calculating the concentration.With repeated experiments using standard gas samples,parameterσof H_(2)S in pure SF_(6)and SF_(6)/N_(2)mixture carrier with different mixing ratios is calibrated.Compared with the simulatedσvalues,the influence of carrier gas on the broadening of spectral profile is discussed.The variation of absorption cross sectionσwith different carrier gas mixing ratios is studied as well,so that the calculation of the concentration in the carrier gas of any mixing ratio is possible.Thus,the application of CRDS in trace component detection of gas insulated electrical equipment is promising.

C2H2 Overtones Near 12300 cm^-1 Revisited with a Very Sensitive Cavity Ring-down Spectrometer

A cavity ring-down spectrometer （CRDS） is constructed with a single-mode continuous-wave Ti：Sapphire laser. It allows attaining a minimum detectable absorption of 1.8× 10^-10cm^-1. The spectrometer is applied to record the overtone spectrum of ^12C2H2 in the 12240- 12350 cm-1. Compared with the previous CRDS and intra-cavity laser absorption spectroscopy studies in the same region, the present measurement achieved better sensitivity and better precision as well. As a result, the ro-vibrational parameters of the high overtone bands of acetylene at 12290.12, 12311.82, and 12350.61 cm^-1 have been refined. The advantages of the present CRD spectrometer is also demonstrated by the newly observed and well characterized perturbation on the f component of the very weak band near 12289 cm^-1. The quantitative measurement capability of the spectrometer is verified with the measurement of the water lines and employed to give the absolute band intensities of those three acetylene bands.

Field Measurement of NO2 and RNO2 by Two-Channel Thermal Dissociation Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer

A two-channel thermal dissociation cavity ring down spectroscopy （CRDS） instrument has been built for in situ, real-time measurement of NO2 and total RNO2 （peroxy nitrates and alkyl nitrates） in ambient air, with a NO2 detection limit of 0.10 ppbv at 1 s. A 6-day long measurement was conducted at urban site of Hefei by using the CRDS instrument with a time resolution of 3 s. A commercial molybdenum converted chemiluminescence （Mo-CL） instrument was also used for comparison. The average RNO2 concentration in the 6 days was measured to be 1.94 ppbv. The Mo-CL instrument overestimated the NO2 concentration by a bias of ＋1.69 ppbv in average, for the reason that it cannot distinguish RNO2 from NO2. The relative bias could be over 100% during the afternoon hours when NO2 was low but RNO2 was high.

High Precision Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy of 6υ3 Overtone Band of 14N2 16O near 775 nm

Transitions of the 6υ3 overtone band of ^14N2 ^16O near 775 nm have been studied by continuous-wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Line positions and intensities were derived from a fit of the line shape using a hard-collisional profile. The line positions determined with absolute accuracy of 5×10^-4 cm^-1 allowed us to reveal finer ro-vibrational couplings taking place after J〉14 except a strong anharmonic interaction identified by the effective Hamiltonian model. The absolute line intensities have also been retrieved with an estimated accuracy of 2% for a majority of the unblended lines. A new set of ro-vibrational and dipole moment parameters were derived from the experimental values. A comparison between the line positions and intensities of the 6υ3 band obtained in this work and those from previous studies is given.

Data point selection for weighted least square fitting of cavity decay time constant

For the accurate extraction of cavity decay time, a selection of data points is supplemented to the weighted least square method. We derive the expected precision, accuracy and computation cost of this improved method, and examine these performances by simulation. By comparing this method with the nonlinear least square fitting （NLSF） method and the linear regression of the sum （LRS） method in derivations and simulations, we find that this method can achieve the same or even better precision, comparable accuracy, and lower computation cost. We test this method by experimental decay signals. The results are in agreement with the ones obtained from the nonlinear least square fitting method.

A portable instrument for measurement of atmospheric O_(x) and NO_(2) based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy

Atmospheric O_(x)(nitrogen dioxide(NO_(2))+ozone(O_(3)))can better reflect the local and regional change character-istics of oxidants compared to O_(3)alone,so obtaining O_(x)accurately and rapidly is the basis for evaluating the O_(3)production rate.Furthermore,O_(x)has proved to be a more representative indicator and can serve as a reflection of pollution prevention efficacy.A portable instrument for measuring atmospheric O_(x)and NO_(2)based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy(O_(x)/NO_(2)-CRDS)was developed in this work.The NO_(2)concentration is accurately mea-sured according to its absorption characteristic at 407.86 nm.Ambient O_(3)is converted into NO_(2)by chemical titration of high concentrations of nitrogen oxide(NO),and the O_(3)conversion efficiencies obtained are nearly 99%.The detection limit of the O_(x)/NO_(2)-CRDS system for O_(x)is 0.024 ppbv(0.1 s),and the overall uncertainty of the instrument is±6%.Moreover,the Kalman filtering technique was applied to improve the measurement accuracy of O_(x)/NO_(2)-CRDS.The system was applied in a comprehensive field observation campaign at Hefei Sci-ence Island from 26 to 30 September 2022,and the time concentration series and change characteristics of O_(x)and NO_(2)were obtained for five days.The measured O_(x)concentrations were compared with those of two com-mercial instruments,and the consistency was good(R^(2)=0.98),indicating that this system can be deployed to accurately and rapidly obtain the concentrations of atmospheric O_(x)and NO_(2).It will be a useful tool for assessing the atmospheric oxidation capacity and controlling O_(3)pollution.

CO2 Pressure Shift and Broadening of Water Lines Near 790 nm

Carbon dioxide pressure-broadened ro-vibrational transitions belonging to thev^2＋3v^3 band of H2160 have been measured with a sensitive cavity ring-down spectrometer. Water vapor of relatively low pressures （〈0.5 Torr） was used to limit the self-collisions among water molecules. After the calibration using the precise atomic transitions of Rb and a thermo- stabilized Fabry-Perot interferometer, 10^-5 cm^-1 frequency accuracy has been achieved. Line parameters are derived from least-squares fitting of the spectra using the ＂soft＂ collision model. The retrieved line parameters can be applied in the study of water absorption in the CO2-rich atmospheres of planets like Venus and Mars.

Design of Fiber Magnetic Field Sensor Based on Fiber Bragg Grating Fabry-Perot Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

A novel fiber magnetic sensor based on the fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot （FBG-FP） cavity ring-down technique with pulse laser injection is proposed and demonstrated theoretically. A general expression of the intensity of the output electric field is derived, and the effect of the external magnetic field on the ring-down time is discussed. The results show that the output light intensity and the ring-down time of the FBG-FP cavity are in the inverse proportion to the magnitude of the external magnetic field. Our results demonstrate the new concept of the fiber magnetic sensor with the FBG-FP cavity ring-down spectroscopy and the technical feasibility.

Fiber loop ring-down cavity integrated U-bent single-mode-fiber for magnetic field sensing

A novel magnetic field sensing system based on the fiber loop ring-down technique is proposed in this paper. In the fiber loop, a U-bent single-mode-fiber structure coated with magnetic fluid(MF) serves as the sensing head, and an erbium-doped fiber amplifier(EDFA) is introduced to compensate for the intrinsic loss of the cavity. The ring-down time of the system varies with the change of applied magnetic field due to the tunable absorption coefficient and refractive index of the MF. Therefore, measurement of the magnetic field can be realized by monitoring the ringdown time. The experimental results show that the performance of the system is extremely dependent on the interrogation wavelength, because both the gain of the EDFA and the loss of the sensing head are wavelength dependent.We found that at the optimal wavelength, the ratio of the gain to loss attained its maximum. The sensing system was experimentally demonstrated and a sensitivity of-0.5951 μs∕Oe was achieved.

Detection of Radiocarbon Dioxide with Double-Resonance Absorption Spectroscopy

Fast and accurate quantitative detection of ^(14)CO_(2) has impor-tant applications in many elds.The optical detection method based on the sensitive cavity ring-down spectroscopy technol-ogy has great potential.But currently it has diffculties of insuffcient sensitivity and susceptibility to absorption of other isotopes/impurity molecules.We propose a stepped double-resonance spectroscopy method to excite ^(14)CO_(2) molecules to an intermediate vibrationally excited state,and use cavity ring-down spectroscopy to probe them.The two-photon process signi cantly improves the selectivity of detection.We derive the quantitative measurement capability of double-resonance absorption spectroscopy.The simulation results show that the double-resonance spectroscopy measurement is Doppler-free,thereby reducing the e ect of other molecular absorption.It is expected that this method can achieve high-selectivity detection of ^(14)CO_(2) at the sub-ppt level.

Fiber Cavity Ring-Down Using an Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer

This work presented a demonstration of the potential for a fiber based cavity ring-down （CRD） using an optical time-domain reflectometer （OTDR）. The OTDR was used to send the impulses down into about 20km of a standard single optical fiber, at the end of which the fiber cavity ring-down was placed. The OTDR measured no appreciable losses, so other CRDs multiplexed could be spliced in parallel along the same optical fiber. To demonstrate the behavior and sensitivity of the proposed configuration, a displacement sensor based on a fiber taper with a diameter of 50 μm was placed inside the fiber loop, and the induced losses were measured on the CRD signal -- a sensitivity of 11.8 ＋ 0.5 μs/mm was achieved. The dynamic range of the sensing head used in this configuration was about 2 mm. Finally, this work was also compared with different works published in the literature.

Validation and Comparison of Calibration Techniques for Measurements of Carbon Dioxide in Atmospheric Air Standards

The increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has led the scientific community to investigate the adverse effects on humanity and nature, including the greenhouse effect, which contributes to global warming and can lead to climate change, besides the risks associated with human health. Due to the importance of metrological issues in the current scenario, the Laboratory of Gas Analysis (Lanag) of the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro) is developing the methodology of preparation of such primary standard gas mixtures through gravimetry. For the preparation of these standards, an analysis verification step is necessary, carried out by means of an analytical technique of comparison, at low levels of concentration, by cavity ringdown (CRDS) and by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector coupled to a methaniser catalyst (GC-FIDmeth). This work presents the method validation of both methodologies developed to analyze a range of concentration of atmospheric standards of CO2 at a matrix of synthetic clean dry air (SCDA) by CRDS and GC-FIDmeth, of which the analysis results can compromise the measurements on atmospheric air quality. The objective is to compare results of method validation of both analytical methods for low CO2 concentration through the use of primary reference mixtures developed and also by certified reference material. The validation measurement results were analyzed according to the requirements of ISO 5725: 1994 parts 1 and 2, and the calculation of measurement uncertainty followed the methodology described in ISO 6143:2001, with results showing satisfactory consistent between both selected techniques. According to the work presented here, the obtained validation results for CRDS are better than the GC results, such as the relative uncertainty of samples evaluated for CRDS was 0.4% and 2.7% for GC_FID meth.

Loss Measurement of High-Finesse Fabry-Perot Cavities

The loss of a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity was measured using frequency scan and cavity ring-down techniques.Different transverse modes were examined by sweeping the frequency of the laser across the corresponding resonances.In addition,cavity ring-down technique was used to measure the loss of the Fabry-Perot cavity and a simple model was employed to remove the influence of finite response time of the optical switch and the detection circuit.

Curvature Sensor Based on a Long-Period Grating in a Fiber Ring Resonator Interrogated by an OTDR

The proposed technique demonstrates a fiber ring resonator interrogated by an optical time domain reflectometer(OTDR),for intensity sensing.By using this methodology,a cavity round trip time of 2.85ms was obtained.For a proof of concept,a long-period grating was inserted in the resonant cavity operating as a curvature sensing device.A novel signal processing approach was outlined,regarding to the logarithmic behavior of the OTDR.Through analyzing the experimental results,an increase in the measured sensitivities was obtained by increasing applied bending.With curvatures performed from 1.8 m^(-1) to 4.5 m^(-1),the sensitivity values ranged from 2.94 dB·km^(-1) to 5.15 dB·km^(-1).In its turn,the sensitivities obtained presented a linear behavior when studied as a function of the applied curvature,following a slope of 0.86×10-3 dB.The advantages of applying this technique were also discussed,demonstrating two similar fiber rings multiplexed in a series of configurations.

Nocturnal atmospheric chemistry of NO_(3) and N_(2)O_(5) over Changzhou in the Yangtze River Delta in China

Comprehensive observations of the nocturnal atmospheric oxidation of NO_(3)and N_(2)O_(5)were conducted at a suburban site in Changzhou in the YRD using cavity ring-down spectroscopy(CRDS)from 27 May to 24 June,2019.High concentrations of NO_(3)precursors were observed,and the nocturnal production rate of NO_(3)was determined to be 1.7±1.2 ppbv/hr.However,the nighttime NO_(3)and N_(2)O_(5)concentrations were relatively low,with maximum values of 17.7 and 304.7 pptv,respectively,illustrating the rapid loss ofNO_(3)andN_(2)O_(5).Itwas found that NO_(3)dominated the nighttime atmospheric oxidation,accounting for 50.7%,whileO3 andOH only contributed 34.1%and 15.2%,respectively.For the reactions of NO_(3)with volatile organic compounds(VOCs),styrenewas found to account for 60.3%,highlighting its dominant role in the NO_(3)reactivity.In general,the contributions of the reactions between NO_(3)and VOCs and the N_(2)O_(5)uptake to NO_(3)losswere found to be about 39.5%and 60.5%,respectively,indicating that N_(2)O_(5)uptake also played an important role in the loss of NO_(3)and N_(2)O_(5),especially under the high humidity conditions in China.The formation of nitrate at night mainly originated from N_(2)O_(5)uptake,and the maximum production rate of NO_(3)^(-)reached 6.5 ppbv/hr.The average NOx consumption rate via NO_(3)and N_(2)O_(5)chemistry was found to be 0.4 ppbv/h,accounting for 47.9%of the total NO_(x)removal.The predominant roles of NO_(3)and N_(2)O_(5)in nitrate formation and NO_(x)removal in the YRD region was highlighted in this study.