A Differential Thermal Lens Spectrometry Method for Trace Detection

Thermal lens spectroscopy (TLS) is a high-sensitivity method to determine the concentration of light-absorbing species in samples. Here, we implemented a transient configuration of the technique, with a focused pump and a collimated probe beam coaxially propagating. A Fabry-Perot optical resonator is incorporated allowing multi-passing of the probe beam through the sample to enhance sensitivity. We show how the low detection limit of the method can be reduced approximately by half by making differential measurements of the signal at a far field in the center point of the probe beam spot and that obtained by spatial filtering of the same beam, the so-called eclipsed signal. Measurements were performed in test samples of Deyman's organic dye, Strawberry 2143 v.7, dissolved in ethanol. The thermal lens signal measured as a function of the dye concentration in water at the center of the beam was compared with the differential signal resulting from this and the eclipsed beam.