Quantum Cascade Lasers for Environmental Gas Monitoring  

Hamamatsu’s range of room temperature operation Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL) feature high stability and high power output in the mid-infrared region, with a very narrow spectral line width. To meet your exact requirements, QCL’s are available either as continuous (CW) or pulsed output, selectable emission wavelengths and a choice of FP or DFB laser structure.

Quantum cascade lasers offer high power pulsed or CW output in the mid-infrared region. The devices can operate at room temperature, eliminating the requirement for cryogenic coolers. This latest technology allows Hamamatsu to fabricate different QCLs with emission wavelengths tailored anywhere from 4.3 microns to 10.6 microns. Products have already been fabricated with output powers up to 500 mW. The emission wavelength of the QCL can be altered with accurate control of the operating temperature and then stabilized emission is realized by the use of a thermoelectric cooler. The latest QCL technology can be offered with either a FP (Fabry Perot) or DFB (Distributed Feed Back) laser structure. Example versions of the DFB pulsed laser diode are 5.26 microns with a pulsed power of 200 mW (50 ns pulse with 1KHz repetition rate) and 7.78 microns with a pulsed power of 50 mW (50 ns pulse with 1KHz repetition rate).

There are many applications for Quantum Cascade Lasers including high-resolution spectroscopy systems for environmental sensing and pollution monitoring, breath analysis in medical diagnosis, industrial process control and security applications such as screening for plastic explosives.

QCL’s are the optimum solution for a wide range of applications and they will enable you to design more compact, portable and lower cost instruments.

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