Abstract

The presence of some volatile organic compounds (VOC) in human breath is linked to specific metabolic changes or diseases [1]. Fast and broad detection of these compounds with high sensitivity might be beneficial for medical diagnostics. Typically, many of the relevant molecules have distinct absorption features with exceptionally high absorption cross-sections in the molecular fingerprint region due to rotational-vibrational transitions. These strong transitions are directly accessible by the irradiation with mid-infrared (mid-IR) radiation. High bandwidth is necessary for coverage of various molecules, and high brightness is favorable for high sensitivity.

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