Abstract: A photoacoustic spectrometer includes: a light source including: a supercontinuum laser to produce a first light including a high-frequency; a tunable wavelength filter to select a wavelength of the first light; a bandwidth filter to select a bandwidth of the first light; a modulator to receive the first light and to modulate the first light at an acoustic frequency to produce a probe light including: the acoustic frequency; and the high-frequency, the light source to irradiate nondestructively a sample with the probe light; a cavity to receive the sample and the probe light and including: a first window to transmit the probe light into the cavity; and a second window to transmit the probe light out of the cavity; a transducer to detect a photoacoustic signal produced from the sample in response to absorption of the probe light by the sample; and an optical detector to detect the probe light.