laser absorption spectrometer

A laser absorption spectrometer is an instrument used in spectroscopy to analyze the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by a sample. Unlike traditional spectrometers that use a broad-band source and a monochromator, a laser absorption spectrometer utilizes a laser as its radiation source. This allows for higher intensity and a narrower bandwidth of light, leading to increased sensitivity and resolution.1

The instrument works by passing a laser beam of known wavelengths through a sample. A detector measures how much of each wavelength is absorbed. By varying the wavelengths, a spectrum is produced, revealing which wavelengths are absorbed and to what extent. This method is advantageous because it can directly measure the absorption coefficient without a monochromator and can achieve long absorption path lengths due to the laser's spatial coherence. Laser absorption spectrometers are valuable for detecting and characterizing short-lived intermediate species in chemical reactions and offer enhanced sensitivity for studying fluorescence and phosphorescence.1