Abstract: An optical probe and method for analysing a soil located in an underground area are provided. The optical probe includes a probe head insertable into the underground area, the probe head including a transparent wall defining a hollow chamber within the probe head; a light source mounted in the hollow chamber, configured to generate an illumination beam towards the soil, the illumination beam passing through the transparent wall to irradiate the soil, thereby producing a resulting light emanating from the soil, a portion of the resulting light returning towards the probe head and being guided in the transparent wall by total internal reflection along the optical path; a detector configured to receive the portion of the resulting light and outputting an output signal representative of characteristic(s) of the soil; and an optical element guiding the portion of the resulting light from the transparent wall to the detector.

Abstract: An optical probe and method for analysing a soil located in an underground area are provided. The optical probe includes a probe head insertable into the underground area, the probe head including a transparent wall defining a hollow chamber within the probe head; a light source mounted in the hollow chamber, configured to generate an illumination beam towards the soil, the illumination beam passing through the transparent wall to irradiate the soil, thereby producing a resulting light emanating from the soil, a portion of the resulting light returning towards the probe head and being guided in the transparent wall by total internal reflection along the optical path; a detector configured to receive the portion of the resulting light and outputting an output signal representative of characteristic(s) of the soil; and an optical element guiding the portion of the resulting light from the transparent wall to the detector.

Abstract: There are provided an optical probe and method for analysing a soil located in an underground area. The optical probe includes a probe head insertable into the underground area to contact the soil, the probe head including a waveguide having opposite first and second ends both optically shielded from the soil; a light source configured to generate a multiwavelength interrogating beam and optically coupled to the first end of the waveguide so that the multiwavelength interrogation beam is inputted in the waveguide to propagate towards the second end; and a detector optically coupled to the second end of the waveguide to detect said multiwavelength interrogation beam. The waveguide includes an unshielded interaction zone extending between the first and second ends providing a wavelength-dependent attenuation of the multiwavelength interrogation beam through interaction with the soil.

Abstract: An optical probe and method for analysing a soil located in an underground area are provided. The optical probe includes a probe head insertable into the underground area, the probe head including a transparent wall defining a hollow chamber within the probe head; a light source mounted in the hollow chamber, configured to generate an illumination beam towards the soil, the illumination beam passing through the transparent wall to irradiate the soil, thereby producing a resulting light emanating from the soil, a portion of the resulting light returning towards the probe head and being guided in the transparent wall by total internal reflection along the optical path; a detector configured to receive the portion of the resulting light and outputting an output signal representative of characteristic(s) of the soil; and an optical element guiding the portion of the resulting light from the transparent wall to the detector.