Single-shot, planar infrared imaging in flames using polarization spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT

Planar infrared visualization of species in flames is challenging due to the severe thermal radiation background and relatively weak fluorescence quantum yields from ro-vibration transitions. In this express, we report imaging of molecular species in a flame via an absorption-based coherent optical method, namely infrared polarization spectroscopy (IRPS). Single-shot, planar imaging of hydrogen fluoride (HF) has been achieved in a premixed CH(4)/O(2) Bunsen flame, being seeded with a small amount of SF(6). The HF molecule was excited through a rovibrational transition at around 2.5 µm, which belongs to the fundamental vibration band. High spatial resolution was guaranteed using an orthorgonal pump-probe geometry, and an effective suppression of thermal background emission was achieved owing to the coherent nature of the demonstrated two-dimensional IRPS. Other advantages, e.g. high temporal resolution and species-specificity, are also features of this laser-based technique, which make it suitable for imaging of non-fluorescent but infrared active gaseous molecules in harsh environments.