Invar-based refractometer for pressure assessments.

ABSTRACT

Gas modulation refractometry (GAMOR) is a methodology that can mitigate fluctuations and drifts in refractometry. This can open up for the use of non-conventional cavity spacer materials. In this paper, we report a dual-cavity system based on Invar that shows better precision for assessment of pressure than a similar system based on Zerodur. This refractometer shows for empty cavity measurements, up to 104 s, a white noise response (for N2) of 3 mPa s1/2. At 4303 Pa, the system has a minimum Allan deviation of 0.34 mPa (0.08 ppm) and a long-term stability (24 h) of 0.7 mPa. This shows that the GAMOR methodology allows for the use of alternative cavity materials.