Compact quartz-enhanced photoacoustic sensor for ppb-level ambient NO2 detection by use of a high-power laser diode and a grooved tuning fork

A compact quartz-enhanced photoacoustic sensor for ppb-level ambient NO2 detection is demonstrated, in which a high-power blue laser diode module with a small divergence angle was employed to take advantages of the directly proportional relationship between sensitivity and power, hence improving the detection sensitivity. In order to extend the stability time, a custom grooved quartz tuning fork with 800-μm prong spacing is employed to avoid complex signal balance and/or optical spatial filter components. The sensor performance is optimized and assessed in terms of optical coupling, power, gas flow rate, pressure, signal linearity and stability. A minimum detectable concentration (1σ) of 7.3 ppb with an averaging time of 1 s is achieved, which can be further improved to be 0.31 ppb with an averaging time of 590 s. Continuous measurements covering a five-day period are performed to demonstrate the stability and robustness of the reported NO2 sensor system.