Flash resonance Raman lidar for SO2 gas leak detection

We present a demonstration of flash resonance Raman lidar for leak detection of SO2 gas. An optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with a deep UV tuning range around 217.0 nm corresponding to an electronic absorption band of SO2 gas has been utilized to monitor the 3D leakage of SO2 gas occurring 2 m away and to explore the wavelength dependence of the resonance Raman effect for SO2 gas. We believe this new efficient gas sensing technique provides an attractive alternative to conventional 3D lidar sensing based on the mechanical scan. •A 3D gas visualization system is proposed based on the flash resonance Raman lidar technique.•The Raman images exhibit a clear maximum when the excitation laser wavelength matched the SO2 absorption line at 217.0 nm.•The resonance enhancement in SO2 is significant with 15.7 times increase in the Raman scattered signal as compared with the weak resonance condition.•The flash resonance Raman lidar technique is expected to provide new capabilities for a wide range of information in trace gas concentration.