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Wang RQ, Qiao SD, He Y et al. Highly sensitive laser spectroscopy sensing based on a novel four-prong quartz tuning fork. Opto-Electron Adv 8, 240275 (2025). doi: 10.29026/oea.2025.240275
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Article Open Access
Highly sensitive laser spectroscopy sensing based on a novel four-prong quartz tuning fork
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Abstract
In this paper, a novel four-prong quartz tuning fork (QTF) was designed with enlarged deformation area, large prong gap, and low resonant frequency to improve its performance in laser spectroscopy sensing. A theoretical simulation model was established to optimize the design of the QTF structure. In the simulation of quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) technology, the maximum stress and the surface charge density of the four-prong QTF demonstrated increases of 11.1-fold and 15.9-fold, respectively, compared to that of the standard two-prong QTF. In the simulation of light-induced thermoelastic spectroscopy (LITES) technology, the surface temperature difference of the four-prong QTF was found to be 11.4 times greater than that of the standard QTF. Experimental results indicated that the C2H2-QEPAS system based on this innovative design improved the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) by 4.67 times compared with the standard QTF-based system, and the SNR could increase up to 147.72 times when the four-prong QTF was equipped with its optimal acoustic micro-resonator (AmR). When the average time of the system reached 370 s, the system achieved a MDL as low as 21 ppb. The four-prong QTF-based C2H2-LITES system exhibited a SNR improvement by a factor of 4.52, and a MDL of 96 ppb was obtained when the average time of the system reached 100 s. The theoretical and experimental results effectively demonstrated the superiority of the four-prong QTF in the field of laser spectroscopy sensing. -
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References
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Wang RQ, Qiao SD, He Y et al. Highly sensitive laser spectroscopy sensing based on a novel four-prong quartz tuning fork. Opto-Electron Adv 8, 240275 (2025). doi: 10.29026/oea.2025.240275
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Figure 1.
Three in-plane vibration modes of the four-prong QTF.
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Figure 2.
The simulation of stress distribution in QEPAS: (a) standard QTF, (b) four-prong QTF.
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Figure 3.
The simulation of surface charge density distribution in QEPAS: (a) standard QTF, (b) four-prong QTF.
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Figure 4.
The simulation of temperature distribution in LITES: (a) standard QTF, (b) four-prong QTF.
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Figure 5.
The simulation of surface charge density distribution in LITES: (a) standard QTF, (b) four-prong QTF.
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Figure 6.
Schematic diagram of the C2H2 sensor. (a) The sketch of the QEPAS system based on the four-prong QTF. (b) The sketch of the LITES system based on the four-prong QTF. (c) The picture of the four-prong QTF and the standard QTF. AmR: acoustic micro-resonator, TA: transimpedance amplifier, QTF: quartz tuning fork.
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Figure 7.
The frequency response characteristic of the standard QTF (orange), the bare four-prong QTF (green), and the four-prong QTF equipped with AmR (blue).
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Figure 8.
The modulation current curves of (a) the standard QTF and (b) the four-prong QTF.
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Figure 9.
The 2f-QEPAS signal peak as a function of the inner diameter and tube length L of the AmR.
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Figure 10.
(a) The 2f signal of the C2H2-QEPAS system based on the standard QTF, the four-prong QTF, and the four-prong QTF with AmR. (b) The noise level of the C2H2-QEPAS system based on the standard QTF, (c) the four-prong QTF, (d) and the four-prong QTF with AmR.
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Figure 11.
The concentration response of the C2H2-QEPAS system based on the four-prong QTF with AmR. (a) 2f signals at different concentrations. (b)The linear relationship between 2f signal peak and C2H2 concentration.
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Figure 12.
The Allan deviation analysis of the C2H2-QEPAS system based on the four-prong QTF with AmR.
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Figure 13.
(a) 2f signals of the C2H2-LITES system based on the standard QTF and the four-prong QTF, the noise level of C2H2-LITES system based on (b) the standard QTF, and (c) the four-prong QTF.
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Figure 14.
The concentration response of the C2H2-LITES system based on the four-prong QTF. (a) 2f signals at different concentrations. (b) The linear relationship between 2f signal peak and C2H2 concentration.
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Figure 15.
The Allan deviation analysis of the C2H2-LITES system based on the four-prong QTF.
