Tittel, F.Richter, D.Rehle, D.Leleux, D.Lancaster, D.Fraser, M.Fried, A.2010-08-192010-08-192000Proceedings of the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe (CLEO) - Conference Digest, 20000780363191http://hdl.handle.net/2440/59915Summary form only given. For the real time detection of atmospheric CH2O with ultra high sensitivity and excellent selectivity, a cw tunable mid-IR spectroscopic source based on difference frequency generation (DFG) has been developed. The motivation for such a laser source is the acquisition of high quality CH2O concentration measurements. Formaldehyde is an important intermediate present in all regions of the atmosphere and in testing the current understanding of hydrocarbon photochemistry. CH2O plays also a critically important role in the chemistry of the urban atmosphere because of health effects associated with CH2O, as well as its role in ground-level ozone formation.enCopyright status unknownConference paper003000112910.1109/CLEOE.2000.91012665135