Patent · US Active

Beam intensity detection in a cavity ring down sensor

US8269972B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
135References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 29, 2010
Grant dateSep 18, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 16, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/391
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A cavity ring down gas sensor may include a radiation source emits an input beam of light having a wavelength corresponding to an absorption line of a gas to be detected. The input beam of light is coupled into an optical cavity to amplify an internal beam of light that is reflected about the optical cavity. An optical element is disposed in the optical cavity at an angle close to, but not at, the Brewster's angle to reflect a relatively small portion of the internal beam of light to a detector. When a specified light intensity is reached in the optical cavity, the input beam of light may be prevented from entering the optical cavity, and a cavity ring down time decay may be measured. The cavity ring down time decay may be related to the gas concentration of a gas to be detected in the optical cavity.

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