Highly sensitive and miniaturized microcone-curved resonant photoacoustic cavity for trace gas detection

This paper proposes a novel microcone-curved resonant photoacoustic cell (MCR-PAC) for highly sensitive trace gas detection. The MCR-PAC features with microcone-curved resonant region and cylindrical buffer chamber, which dominates the photoacoustic signal amplification. By introducing the hyperbolic eccentricity as a new optimization dimension, the quality factor of the MCR-PAC is remarkably strengthened to enhance the acoustic pressure amplitude. At an eccentricity value of 5, the volume of the photoacoustic resonant cavity is approximately 0.23 cm³. Targeting trace acetylene, the system achieves a minimum detection limit of 1.41 ppb with an integration time of 290 s, corresponding normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient is 1.88×10⁻⁹ W·cm⁻¹·Hz^−1/2. Compared to the traditional T-type PAC, the overall performance of MCR-PAC has been enhanced nearly fourfold. With its compact millimeter-scale dimensions and high sensitivity, the MCR-PAC demonstrates extensive potential for application in environmental monitoring and breath diagnostics.