Cavity ringdown spectroscopic detection of nitric oxide with a continuous-wave quantum-cascade laser

A spectroscopic gas sensor for nitric oxide (NO) detection based on a cavit y ringdown technique was designed and evaluated. A cw quantum-cascade distr ibuted-feedback laser operating at 5.2 mum was used as a tunable single-fre quency light source. Both laser-frequency tuning and abrupt interruptions o f the laser radiation were performed through manipulation of the laser curr ent. A single ringdown event sensitivity to absorption of 2.2 x 10(-8) cm(- 1) was achieved. Measurements of parts per billion (ppb) NO concentrations in N-2 with a 0.7-ppb standard error for a data collection time of 8 s have been performed. Future improvements are discussed that would allow quantif ication of NO in human breath. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.