University of Colorado, Boulder (CU-Boulder)

University of Colorado, Boulder (CU-Boulder) is developing a system of optical underwater sensors to sense and measure dissolved carbon compounds. CU-Boulder seeks to build a sensor head that would be towed underwater by a cable containing optical fibers attached to an autonomous wave-energy harvesting surface vehicle. The proposed system takes advantage of dual frequency comb laser stimulated Raman spectroscopy—derived from a technology developed under ARPA-E’s MONITOR program—to bring laboratory-based optical spectroscopy to in-situ, persistent, and fast-moving ocean platforms.