Golay cell

The Golay cell is a type of opto-acoustic detector mainly used for infrared spectroscopy.

It consists of a gas-filled enclosure with an infrared absorbing material and a flexible diaphragm or membrane.

When infrared radiation is absorbed, it heats the gas, causing it to expand.

The Golay cell has high sensitivity and a flat response over a very broad range of frequencies.

The detector performance is degraded in the presence of mechanical vibrations.