Abstract

Kinetic spectroscopy based on excimer-laser flash photolysis and color-center-laser (CCL) infrared probing is explored. In simple absorption, the achievable signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is not satisfactory even though the signal itself (corresponding to >1% absorption) is fairly large. This is due to amplitude fluctuations of the CCL. By using a double-beam detection scheme to balance out these amplitude fluctuations the sensitivity can be improved to the extent that a 1% absorption gives a S/N ∼ 100. In certain situations transient decreases in absorption of the precursor and transient increases in absorption due to final product formation can produce severe interfering signals even in simple systems. This problem is overcome without a major loss in sensitivity by a recently developed 45° magnetic rotation scheme. These points are illustrated with spectra of Br, OH, and NH₂.

© 1985 Optical Society of America

Color-center laser kinetic spectroscopy: observation of the a¹ Δ NH vibrational fundamental

Jeffrey L. Hall, Horst Adams, J. V. V. Kasper, R. F. Curl, and F. K. Tittel
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 2(5) 781-785 (1985)

Broadly tunable microcomputer-controlled color-center laser for intracavity and extracavity sub-Doppler spectroscopy

H. Adams, R. Brüggemann, P. Dietrich, D. Kirsten, H. Solka, and W. Urban
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 2(5) 815-828 (1985)

Sensitivity improvement of tone-burst modulated spectroscopy with a color-center laser

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J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 1(5) 710-714 (1984)

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S. Kubodera, P. J. Wisoff, and R. Sauerbrey
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9(1) 10-21 (1992)

Interaction of ultraviolet laser radiation with a XeCl laser

D. B. Geohegan, A. W. McCown, and J. G. Eden
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 2(6) 925-930 (1985)