Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for reducing fringe interference in laser spectroscopy

US5267019A · kind A · utility

41Cited by
9References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 30, 1991
Grant dateNov 30, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 30, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/399
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus using a frequency tunable laser to generate a beam which passes through a sample cell and onto an optical detector wherein the tunable laser is modulated at a predetermined frequency which has the undesired effect of producing a periodic interference fringe near an absorption induced signal. An additional level of modulation is applied to the laser beam by a triangular waveform having a predetermined peak-to-peak amplitude and frequency. The triangular waveform peak-to-peak amplitude produces a frequency swing of the laser beam so as to generate from the periodic interference fringe, a signal having reduced components near the absorption induced signal. The signal at the optical detector is demodulated by a lock-in amplifier tuned to a predetermined harmonic of the frequency of the triangular waveform.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.