Broadly tunable single-mode quantum cascade laser sources and sensors

Abstract

A broadly tunable single-mode infrared laser source based on semiconductor lasers. The laser source has two parts: an array of closely-spaced DFB QCLs (or other semiconductor lasers) and a controller that can switch each of the individual lasers in the array on and off, set current for each of the lasers and, and control the temperature of the lasers in the array. The device can be used in portable broadband sensors to simultaneously detect a large number of compounds including chemical and biological agents. A microelectronic controller is combined with an array of individually-addressed DFB QCLs with slightly different DFB grating periods fabricated on the same broadband (or multiple wavelengths) QCL material. This allows building a compact source providing narrow-line broadly-tunable coherent radiation in the Infrared or Terahertz spectral range (as well as in the Ultraviolet and Visible spectral ranges, using semiconductor lasers with different active region design). The performance (tuning range, line width, power level) is comparable to that of external grating tunable semiconductor lasers, but the proposed design is much smaller and much easier to manufacture.