The off‐axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA‐ICOS) represents a suitable solution in many applications with a simple structure and high sensitivity. The off‐axis configuration allows the continuous spectrum output without cavity mode structure when a continuous wave laser is used while preserving the optical resonator's ability to enhance the optical path by tens of thousands of times. This review summarizes the recent advances and applications of OA‐ICOS in recent decades. The evolutionary process and basic principle of OA‐ICOS are introduced. Various approaches for improving the technical performance and enabling simultaneous multigas measurement are reported. Finally, the various field applications of OA‐ICOS technology and the potential development directions are discussed.

Recent advances and applications of off‐axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy

Previous research revealed that isotopes 13C and 18O of exhaled CO2 have the potential link with Helicobacter pylori; however, the 17O isotope has received very little attention. We developed a sensitive spectroscopic sensor for simultaneous δ13C, δ18O, and δ17O analysis of human breath CO2 based on mid-infrared laser direct absorption spectroscopy with an interband cascade laser (ICL) at 4.33 μm. There was a gas cell with a small volume of less than 5 mL, and the pressure in the gas cell was precisely controlled with a standard deviation of 0.0035 Torr. Moreover, real-time breath sampling and batch operation were achieved in gas inlets. The theoretical drifts for δ13C, δ18O, and δ17O measurement caused by temperature were minimized to 0.017‰, 0.024‰, and 0.021‰, respectively, thanks to the precise temperature control with a standard deviation of 0.0013 °C. After absolute temperature correction, the error between the system responded δ-value and the reference is less than 0.3‰. According to Allan variance analysis, the system precisions for δ13C, δ18O, and δ17O were 0.12‰, 0.18‰, and 0.47‰, respectively, at 1 s integration time, which were close to the real-time measurement errors of six repeated exhalations.

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Simultaneous Sensitive Determination of δ13C, δ18O, and δ17O in Human Breath CO2 Based on ICL Direct Absorption Spectroscopy

High precision and sensitivity detection of gas measurement by laser wavelength modulation spectroscopy implementing an optical fringe noise suppression method

Nitrogen species present in the atmosphere, soil, and water play a vital role in ecosystem stability. Reactive nitrogen gases are key air quality indicators and are responsible for atmospheric ozone layer depletion. Soil nitrogen species are one of the primary macronutrients for plant growth. Species of nitrogen in water are essential indicators of water quality, and they play an important role in aquatic environment monitoring. Anthropogenic activities have highly impacted the natural balance of the nitrogen species. Therefore, it is critical to monitor nitrogen concentrations in different environments continuously. Various methods have been explored to measure the concentration of nitrogen species in the air, soil, and water. Here, we review the recent advancements in optical and electrochemical sensing methods for measuring nitrogen concentration in the air, soil, and water. We have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the existing methods and the future prospects. This will serve as a reference for researchers working with environment pollution and precision agriculture.

https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3129/3/1/8/pdf?version=1646403235

Review on Detection Methods of Nitrogen Species in Air, Soil and Water

We designed a tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) sensor for the online monitoring of CO2 and H2O concentrations. It comprised a small self-design multi-pass cell, home-made laser drive circuits, and a data acquisition circuit. The optical and electrical parts and the gas circuit were integrated into a portable carrying case (height = 134 mm, length = 388 mm, and width = 290 mm). A TDLAS drive module (size: 90 mm × 45 mm) was designed to realize the function of laser current and temperature control with a temperature control accuracy of ±1.4 mK and a current control accuracy of ±0.5 μA, and signal acquisition and demodulation. The weight and power consumption of the TDLAS system were only 5 kg and 10 W, respectively. Distributed feedback lasers (2004 nm and 1392 nm) were employed to target CO2 and H2O absorption lines, respectively. According to Allan analysis, the detection limits of CO2 and H2O were 0.13 ppm and 3.7 ppm at an average time of 18 s and 35 s, respectively. The system response time was approximately 10 s. Sensor performance was verified by measuring atmospheric CO2 and H2O concentrations for 240 h. Experimental results were compared with those obtained using a commercial instrument LI-7500, which uses non-dispersive infrared technology. Measurements of the developed gas analyzer were in good agreement with those of the commercial instrument, and its accuracy was comparable. Therefore, the TDLAS sensor has strong application prospects in atmospheric CO2 and H2O concentration detection and ecological soil flux monitoring.

/pdf/portable-tdlas-sensor-for-online-monitoring-of-co2-and-h2o-2y2sobz3.pdf

Portable TDLAS Sensor for Online Monitoring of CO2 and H2O Using a Miniaturized Multi-Pass Cell

A highly precise dual gas sensor for measurement of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon monoxide (CO) was developed and evaluated. A room temperature interband cascade laser emitting at 4.54 μm was used as a laser source to cover the absorption lines of N2O and CO simultaneously. Sensitivity and precision were enhanced by using an improved White cell with 76 m effective optical path length and radio frequency noise perturbation technique to reduce optical interference noise. A method was proposed to correct the laser frequency by calculating the correlation coefficient between the absorption signal with the reference signal, which effectively reduced the long-term drift of the absorption line center to less than 4 × 10−5 cm−1. By further precisely control the temperature and pressure of the absorption cell, a continuous 24 h measurement precision of 65 ppt N2O and 133 ppt CO at 0.1 Hz was demonstrated, with a daily drift less than 1.5 ppt. Finally, the repeatability and reliability of the sensor system were validated by real atmospheric measurements for two consecutive days.

Kunyang Wang

Papers

Highly precise measurement of atmospheric N2O and CO using improved White cell and RF current perturbation