Patent · US Expired

Intracavity laser spectroscope for high sensitivity detection of contaminants

US5689334A · kind A · utility

24Cited by
9References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 1, 1995
Grant dateNov 18, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 1, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/141
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Contaminants are detected optically at concentrations below 1 part-per-million (ppm) and extending to a level approaching 1 part-per-trillion (ppt) by using intracavity laser spectroscopy (ILS) techniques. A solid-state laser with an ion-doped crystal medium contained in an optical resonator cavity (the ILS laser) is employed as a detector. A gas sample containing gaseous contaminant species is placed inside the optical resonator cavity and on one side of the ion-doped crystal. The output signal from the ILS laser is detected and analyzed to identify the gaseous species. The concentration of the gaseous species can be determined as well.

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