A 
photo acoustic trace gas detector (100) is provided for detecting a concentration of a 
trace gas in a gas mixture. The 
detector (100) comprises a 
light source (101) for producing a 
light beam and a light modulator (103) for modulating the 
light beam into a series of light pulses at a chopping frequency for generating sound 
waves in the gas mixture. The amplitude of the sound 
waves is a measure of the concentration of the 
trace gas. The 
detector (100) further comprises an 
optical cavity (104a, 104b) with the gas mixture. The 
optical cavity (104a, 104b) amplifies the 
light intensity of the light pulses. A 
transducer (109) converts the sound 
waves into electrical signals. A feed back loop (110, 111, 113, 114) regulates a ratio of a length of the 
optical cavity (104a, 104b) and a 
wavelength of the 
light beam for amplifying the 
light intensity of the light pulses in the optical cavity (104a, 104b). The 
feedback loop (110, 111, 113, 114) comprises ratio modulating means (113, 114) for modulating the ratio at a modulation frequency, a photo detector (110) for measuring the 
light intensity of the light pulses and adjusting means (111), coupled to the photo detector (100) and to the ratio modulating means (113, 114) for, in dependence of the measured light intensity, adjusting an average of the ratio. The chopping frequency is higher than the modulation frequency.