Long-path supercontinuum absorption spectroscopy for measurement of atmospheric constituents

A supercontinuum source has been proposed as a new tool for measurement of minor species concentrations on long paths through the atmosphere. The present work describes results from recent experiments that demonstrate the potential for Differential Absorption Spectroscopy (DAS) and Spectral Pattern Recognition Differential Absorption Lidar (SPR-DIAL) measurements utilizing a supercontinuum source. As an initial example of this measurement approach, the results include the quantification of water vapor concentration through indoor and outdoor path absorption measurements using a collimated supercontinuum source. Experimental spectra are compared with equivalent simulations from MODTRAN T versions 4 and 5 to examine the water vapor band between 1300 and 1500 nm to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.