This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I proposal seeks to develop an ultrasensitive, mid-infrared laser-based formaldehyde gas sensor system for airborne and ground-based atmospheric monitoring. The proposed instrument will be capable of accurately determining sub-parts-per-billion formaldehyde concentrations in seconds. This compact, lightweight instrument will be capable of long-term autonomous operation, and require minimal power. The Phase I research will demonstrate the feasibility of the technology by performing measurements on formaldehyde samples using Aeris� prototype compact spectrometer platform. The results of these tests will be used to quantify detection limits and hardware requirements for a Phase II instrument. Commercial systems based on the Phase II prototype will be developed and marketed during Phase III.
