MEASUREMENT OF MOLECULAR CONCENTRATIONS AND LINE PARAMETERS USING LINE-LOCKED 2ND HARMONIC SPECTROSCOPY WITH AN ALGAAS DIODE-LASER

The technique of line-locked wavelength modulation with 2f detection is applied to the measurement of water vapor concentration and absorption line parameters by using an 820-nm AlGaAs communications diode laser. Measurements of the 2f signal as a function of the modulation amplitude yield accurate concentrations and line parameters over a pressure range of an order of magnitude and half-widths from 0.02 to 0.15 cm-1. Using two different spectral lines, we determined concentrations and line parameters with 1% precision, and the absolute accuracy of the line parameters is 3% or better. The results have been used to calculate calibration curves for a diode laser humidity monitor.