Abstract

A differential dual-beam photothermal deflection spectrometer using a single position sensor is described. An excitation and a probe laser beam are directed simultaneously into a sample solution and a reference solution to provide real-time background correction. The probe beam that passes through the reference cell is folded back into the path of the sample-cell probe beam in such a way that only one position sensor is needed to monitor the deflection in both cells. Nd³⁺ solutions are used to demonstrate the effect of background correction and the sensitivity of this dual-beam photothermal deflection arrangement.

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