Photoacoustic detection by means of a differential double resonator cell applied to security and defence

The purpose of this article is to present a sensitive optical system for immediate detection of traces of ammonia by means of photoacoustic spectroscopy and study some properties with both a pulsed CO2 laser (TEA) and a CW CO2 laser. The laser beam is aimed to an innovative dual resonator differential cell, which lowest resonant frequency is the first longitudinal mode at 1205 Hz, filled with a flowing NH3 and N2 mixture. The chosen cell’s material is polypropylene, suitable for reducing the effects of adsorption. As a result of physical adsorption-desorption studies, based on a pulsed CO2 laser, 5 % PA signal decay from an enclosed sample of 248 ppmV of NH3 in N2 is recorded within 1 hour. The setup for CW CO2 laser excitation takes advantage of a differential microphone connected to both resonators by picking up out of phase signals. For this purpose, the beam is modulated at the cell’s resonance by means of a chopper with a special blade which allows both reflection and transmission of the laser beam; the direct and the reflected beam are alternatively aimed to one resonator and the other. The measurements show that for the double resonator configuration a signal increase is achieved, as expected from the study of the sensitivity of both resonators separately, which have been previously characterized. Measurements with this system indicate a limit of detection of 13ppbV at the 10P(32) laser line, deduced from one standard deviation of the PA signal from pure N2.