Sensors (Nov 2023)

Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustic Sensor Based on a Multi-Laser Source for In-Sequence Detection of NO<sub>2</sub>, SO<sub>2</sub>, and NH<sub>3</sub>

  • Pietro Patimisco,
  • Nicoletta Ardito,
  • Edoardo De Toma,
  • Dominik Burghart,
  • Vladislav Tigaev,
  • Mikhail A. Belkin,
  • Vincenzo Spagnolo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s23219005
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 23, no. 21
p. 9005

Abstract

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In this work, we report on the implementation of a multi-quantum cascade laser (QCL) module as an innovative light source for quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensing. The source is composed of three different QCLs coupled with a dichroitic beam combiner module that provides an overlapping collimated beam output for all three QCLs. The 3λ-QCL QEPAS sensor was tested for detection of NO2, SO2, and NH3 in sequence in a laboratory environment. Sensitivities of 19.99 mV/ppm, 19.39 mV/ppm, and 73.99 mV/ppm were reached for NO2, SO2, and NH3 gas detection, respectively, with ultimate detection limits of 9 ppb, 9.3 ppb, and 2.4 ppb for these three gases, respectively, at an integration time of 100 ms. The detection limits were well below the values of typical natural abundance of NO2, SO2, and NH3 in air.

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