Optical system and method for gas detection and monitoring

US7929144B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Kurt A. Polzin · Owens Cross Roads, US
• Valentin Korman · Huntsville, US
• William K. Witherow · Huntsville, US
• Adam Hendrickson · معلمی نژاد, US
• John Sinko · Mequon, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 16, 2008
• Grant date: Apr 19, 2011
• Expiry date: Nov 17, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2021/458
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A free-space optical path of an optical interferometer is disposed in an environment of interest. A light beam is guided to the optical interferometer using a single-mode optical fiber. The light beam traverses the interferometer's optical path. The light beam guided to the optical path is combined with the light beam at the end of the optical path to define an output light. A temporal history of the output light is recorded.