Small Business - ERC Collaborative Opportunity to develop an instrument for trace detection of O2 using a high-finesse prism optical cavity and the Faraday Effect

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Intellectual Merit :In this project a new fully optical CE-FRS detection scheme is proposed to mitigate needsfor any chemical treatments of the sample gas that is usually required with currently availableinstrumentation for trace oxygen sensing. The project will leverage unique capabilities ofdevelopment and commercialization of cavity enhanced technologies by Tiger Optics and thenew sensing technology based on FRS developed and demonstrated by MIRTHE. Initially a proof-of-conceptprototype system will be investigated based on a conventional two mirror high-Finesse cavityequipped with a custom FRS optics for signal extraction. Most importantly the proposed researchwill also explore the possibility of implementing CE-FRS using the Tiger Optics proprietaryhigh-Finesse optical prism cavity technology. This unique technology would allow CE-FRS tobe implemented in combination with standard cw-CRDS in the same commercial instrument, permittingsensitive broadband detection of paramagnetic and diamagnetic molecules simultaneously. Theproposed technology will eliminate routine maintenance issues, chemical conversion uncertaintyand other disadvantages typical for electrochemical systems or indirect sensing technologies.The proposed direct laser-based detection provides significant advantage in industrial applicationswhere 24-7 continuous monitoring is required and in environmental applications where analyzersare often situated in remote locations with basic infrastructure.Broader Impacts :Development of a CE-FRS method will open up possibilities for sensitive monitoring of manyother paramagnetic species. This method will be suitable for real-time monitoring of traceconcentrations of radicals involved in combustion and atmospheric chemistry, i.e. NO, NO2,OH, HO2, and CH. In many cases, while the presence of these radicals is known, the reactionrates and abundances are not well known due to the lack of in situ monitoring capabilities.A direct laser-based method can provide a new tool for monitoring trace-radicals in a widerange of applications such as environmental monitoring, industrial process control or combustiondiagnostics. Therefore scientific and engineering advancements in this field integrated witha comprehensive educational program addressing specific career development goals at each academiclevel from high school students to post-doctoral researchers, will provide an excellent trainingfor the new generation