Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Tunable infra-red lasers and their applications to air pollution measurements

  • Review
  • Published:
Opto-electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper describes a number of tunable infra-red lasers and techniques employing them for the detection and monitoring of gaseous air pollutants. Recent progress in the development of lasers that can be matched to characteristic infra-red absorption or emission lines of certain pollutants suggest wide potential application for sensitive specific monitoring. Examples to be described include highly-specific point-sampling,in situ source monitoring, ambient air monitoring, resonance fluorescence, and remote heterodyne detection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. For a comprehensive review, including an extensive set of references to earlier work, seeP. L. Hanst, “Advances in Environmental Science and Technology”, Volume 2, edited by James N. Pitts and Robert L. Metcalf (John Wiley, New York, 1971) chapter 4.

    Google Scholar 

  2. E. D. Hinkley andP. L. Kelley,Science 171 (1971) 635–639.

    Google Scholar 

  3. E. D. Hinkley andR. H. Kingston, Proceedings of the Joint Conference on Sensing of Environmental Pollutants, Palo Alto, California, 8–10 November, 1971.

  4. H. Kildal andR. L. Byer,Proc. IEEE 59 (1971) 1644–1663.

    Google Scholar 

  5. I. Melngailis,IEEE Trans. on Geoscience Electronics GE-10 (1972) 7–17.

    Google Scholar 

  6. C. F. Dewey, Jun., andL. O. Hocker,Appl. Phys. Lett. 18 (1971) 58–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. D. J. Bradley, Proc. Electro-Optical Systems Conference, Brighton, England, March, 1971;

  8. B. B. Snavely,Proc. IEEE 57 (1969) 1374–1390.

    Google Scholar 

  9. T. W. Hansch, I. S. Shahin, andA. L. Schawlow,Phys. Rev. Lett. 27 (1971) 707–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. S. S. Tuccio andF. C. Strome, Jun.,Appl. Optics 11 (1972) 64–73;A. Dienes, E. P. Ippen, andC. V. Shank,IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 8 (1972) 388.

    Google Scholar 

  11. S. E. Harris,Proc. IEEE 57 (1969) 2096–2113;R. G. Smith, Optical Parametric Oscillators, in “Laser Handbook”, edited by F. T. Arrechi and E. O. Schultz-DuBois (North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam) (to be published).

    Google Scholar 

  12. J. Pinard andJ. F. Young,Optics Comm. 4 (1972) 425–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. R. L. Byer, VII International Quantum Electronics Conference, Montreal, Canada, 8–11 May, 1972.

  14. For a general review, with extensive references, seeT. C. Harman, “The Physics of Semimetals and Narrow-Gap Semiconductors”, edited by D. L. Carter and R. T. Bate, proceedings of the Conference held in Dallas, Texas, 1970 (Pergamon Press, New York); alsoT. C. Harman,J. Phys. Chem. Solids Supplement 32 (1971) 363–382.

    Google Scholar 

  15. E. D. Hinkley, T. C. Harman, andC. Freed,Appl. Phys. Lett. 13 (1968) 49–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. E. D. Hinkley,ibid 16 (1970) 351–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. K. W. Nill, F. A. Blum, A. R. Calawa, andT. C. Harman,ibid 19 (1971) 79–82;Chem. Phys. Lett. (to be published).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. E. D. Hinkley, A. R. Calawa, P. L. Kelley, andS. A. Clough,J. Appl. Phys., July, 1972 (to be published).

  19. C. K. N. Patel andE. D. Shaw,Phys. Rev. Lett. 24 (1970) 383–385;A. Mooradian, S. R. J. Brueck, andF. A. Blum,Appl. Phys. Lett. 17 (1970) 481–483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. C. K. N. Patel,Phys. Rev. Lett. 28 (1972) 649–652.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. C. K. N. Patel, E. D. Shaw, andR. J. Kerl,ibid 25 (1970) 8–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. L. B. Kreuzer andC. K. N. Patel,Science 173 (1971) 45–47;R. A. Wood, R. B. Dennis, andJ. W. Smith,Optics Comm. 4 (1972) 383–387;S. R. J. Brueck, E. J. Johnson, andA. Mooradian (private communication).

    Google Scholar 

  23. J. A. Rossi, S. R. Chinn, andA. Mooradian,Appl. Phys. Lett. 20 (1972) 84–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. I. Melngailis (private communication).

  25. V. N. Bagratashvili, I. N. Knyazev, andV. S. Letokhov,Optics Comm. 4 (1971) 154–156;N. G. Basov, E. M. Belenov, V. A. Danilychev, andA. F. Suchov,Quantum Electron. (USSR) N3 (1971) 121–122;C. A. Fenstermacher, M. J. Nutter, W. T. Leland, andK. Boyer,Appl. Phys. Lett. 20 (1972) 56–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. E. D. Hinkley andC. Freed,Phys. Rev. Lett. 23 (1969) 277–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. R. J. Keyes andT. M. Quist, “Semiconductors and Semimetals”, edited by R. K. Willardson and A. C. Beer (Academic Press, New York, 1970), chapter 8.

    Google Scholar 

  28. M. R. Bowman, A. J. Gibson, andM. C. W. Sandford,Nature 21 (1969) 456–457.

    Google Scholar 

  29. I. B. Kreuzer (private communication).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA

    E. D. Hinkley

Authors
  1. E. D. Hinkley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This work was supported by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hinkley, E.D. Tunable infra-red lasers and their applications to air pollution measurements. Opto-electronics 4, 69–86 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01421173

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01421173

Keywords

Search

Navigation