Rostock 2019 – scientific programme
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A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 17: Ultra-cold plasmas and Rydberg systems (joint session A/Q)
A 17.1: Talk
Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 14:00–14:15, S HS 1 Physik
An optogalvanic flux sensor for trace gases — •Patrick Kaspar1,4, Johannes Schmidt1,2,4, Fabian Munkes1,4, Denis Djekic3,4, Patrick Schalberger2,4, Holger Baur2,4, Robert Löw1,4, Tilman Pfau1,4, Jens Anders3,4, Norbert Frühauf2,4, Edward Grant5, and Harald Kübler1,4 — 15th Institute of Physics — 2Institute of Large Area Microelectronics — 3Institute of Smart Sensors — 4University of Stuttgart, Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST)) — 5Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia
We demonstrate the applicability of a new kind of gas sensor based on Rydberg excitations. From a gas mixture the molecule in question is excited to a Rydberg state, by succeeding collisions with all other gas components this molecule gets ionized and the emerging electron and ion can then be measured as a current, which is the clear signature of the presence of this particular molecule. As a first test we excite Alkali Rydberg atoms in an electrically contacted vapor cell [1,2] and demonstrate a detection limit of 100 ppb to a background of N2. For a real life application, we employ our gas sensing scheme to the detection of nitric oxide at thermal temperatures and atmospheric pressure [3]. We are planning to reduce the detection limit to 1 ppb using state of the art cw lasers for the Rydberg excitation of NO. This is a competitive value for applications in breath analysis and environmental sensing.
D. Barredo, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 123002 (2013)
J. Schmidt, et al., SPIE 10674 (2018)
J. Schmidt, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 113, 011113 (2018)