Dye-based waveguide laser sensor for detecting atmospheric gases
E.N. Tel’minov, Sh.T. Berdybaeva, T.A. Solodova, A.E. Kurtsevich
National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
Keywords: thin-film laser, planar waveguide, fluorescent sensor, laser generation, analyte, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide
Abstract
An integral component of any analyzer is a sensor. Interest in the development of highly efficient sensing elements for detecting various substances in the surrounding atmosphere remains strong. Among many types of sensors, optical sensors capable of operating in laser mode stand out due to their superior sensitivity compared to fluorescent sensors. This study describes the sensory properties of a photo-excitable active waveguide with a polymethyl methacrylate matrix doped with Nile Red dye. The threshold characteristics of the dye laser generation are investigated. Sensitivity is shown for 0.8% carbon dioxide in an argon mixture and 0.8% nitrous oxide in an argon mixture at atmospheric pressure within the active waveguide under lasing conditions. Possible mechanisms for reducing the lasing threshold in the presence of detectable substances are discussed.
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