Patent ID: 6084682
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A cavity ring-down spectroscopy system comprising:a) a ring-down ring resonant cavity for holding a sample;b) a light source comprising a laser in optical communication with said cavity, for generating a locking light and a sampling light incident on said cavity, wherein one of said locking light and said sampling lightis s-polarized within said cavity, and the other of said locking light and said samplinglight is p-polarized within said cavity;c) locking electronics in optical communication with said cavity for receiving said locking light reflected by said cavity and for locking said cavity and said light source using said locking light reflected by said cavity; andd) sampling electronics in optical communication with said cavity, for detecting said sampling light extending from said cavity and for determining ring-down rates indicative of an absorption of said sampling light by said sample.