Quantum cascade lasers for TDLS

Transcription

1 Quantum cascade lasers for TDLS Stéphane Blaser 1-3 Maximilien-de-Meuron CH-2000 Neuchâtel Switzerland 5th International Conference on Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscopy (TDLS) Industry Session, July 12, 2005, Firenze (It)

2 The company Based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland Founded in 1998, 100 kchf initial capital 13 employees 30 years of cumulated experience in QCL design and manufacture Strong Intellectual Property protection Independent product (bound-to-continuum) Holder of a licence from Lucent Technologies Standard & built-to-order devices Turnover 1.6 MCHF (2004) Growth rate 50-80% per annum since foundation

3 The team Dr. Yargo Bonetti Dr. Stéphane Blaser Sophie Brunner Emmanuel Gentilhomme Stéphane Goeckeler Sandra Hofmann Sandrine Huin Dr. Lubos Hvozdara Dr. Antoine Muller Lim-Vitou Nam Alexandre Netuschill Vanessa Piot Guillaume Vandeputte

4 TDLS Applications Optical gas measurements Infrared Spectroscopy Quality analysis Trace gas detection Remote sensing Environnement control Security Drug/explosive detection Chemical/biological agents detection Medical diagnostics Breath analysis Non-invasive techniques Glucose monitoring

5 Other Applications Energy deposition Illumination Countermeasures Imaging with teraherz radiation Imaging through packages Scanning and sensing Telecommunications Free-space transmissions

6 Activities Standard Production RT-P-DFB LN2-CW-DFB RT-P-FP } Check Inquire by Special Production HP-RT-P-DFB New wavelength RT-P-DFB New wavelength LN2-CW-DFB Research Activities RT-CW-DFB Cryogenic-DFB-THz Very special devices

7 Activities: Standard production Room-Temperature Pulsed DFB Standard Production RT-P-DFB Characteristics: Main applications: Available wavelengths Off-the-shelf: 4.25 to 11.8 µm P > 1 mw (average) Operating current: 1-4 A / Operating voltage: 8-10 V Operating temperatures: -30 C to 30 C Typical duty cycle: up to 5% Tuning range: 0.4% Spectral linewidth ~ 1 GHz tested (FTIR resolution) 300MHz optimal (*) Lifetime: ageing measurements have shown τ > 5 years Chemical sensing / Medical diagnostics / Remote sensing * K. Namjou et al., Opt. Lett. 23, p. 219 (1998), D. Nelson et al., Appl. Phys. B 75, p. 343 (2002), E. Normand et al., Opt. Lett. 28, p.16 (2003), T. Beyer et al., J. Appl. Phys. 95, p.4551 (2004)

8 Activities: Standard production LN2 continuous-wave DFB Standard Production LN2-CW-DFB Available wavelengths Off-the-shelf: 4.2 to 10.4 µm Characteristics: Main applications: P typical 2 mw (max up to 100 mw) Operating current: A, typical 0.8 A Operating voltage: 8-10 V Operating temperature: 80K to ~ K Tuning range: > 0.4% Spectral linewidth ~ 3 MHz / optimal: few Hz (*) Large tuning, but power decreases with increasing temperature Chemical sensing / Medical diagnostics / Remote sensing * M. Taubman et al., Opt. Lett. 27, p (2002)

9 Activities: Standard production Room-Temperature Pulsed FP Standard Production RT-P-FP Inquire by Characteristics: Main applications: P up to 100mW Operating current: A Operating voltage: 8-10V Operating temperatures: -30 C to 30 C Multiline spectra Linewidth 10µm Mode spacing 1 2 cm -1 Illumination / Energy deposition / Chemical sensing in liquids

10 Activities Standard Production RT-P-DFB LN2-CW-DFB RT-P-FP Special Production HP-RT-P-DFB New wavelength RT-P-DFB New wavelength LN2-CW-DFB On request 4.2 to 17µm Research Activities RT-CW-DFB Cryogenic-DFB-THz Very special devices

11 Activities: Special production Production line

12 Activities Production pulsed-dfb RT-P-DFB LN2-CW-DFB RT-P-FP Special pulsed-dfb HP-RT-P-DFB New wavelength RT-P-DFB New wavelength LN2-CW-DFB Research Activities RT-CW-DFB Cryogenic-DFB-THz Very special devices On request

13 cw DFB QCL on TE-cooler at 5.46µm RT-CW-DFB mm-long, 18µm-wide laser no coating Max. single-mode operating temperature: T = 27 C T 0 = 170K Threshold current density = 1.26 ka/cm 2 (-30 C) best device: cw up to 30 C

14 cw DFB QCL on TE-cooler at 5.46µm RT-CW-DFB mm-long, 18µm-wide laser no coating Single-mode emission between -30 and 25 C Tuning range Δν = 12 cm -1 at 1830cm -1 (0.65%)

15 cw DFB QCL on TE-cooler at 5.30µm RT-CW-DFB mm-long, 16µm-wide laser Max. single-mode operating T = -17 C Threshold current density = 2.0 ka/cm 2 (-33 C) goal: cw operation at 1900cm -1

16 Cryogenic cw THz DFB QCL at 86µm Cryogenic-CW-DFB mm-long, 200µm-wide laser Giacomo Scalari et al. cw operation at 116 cm -1

17 Conclusions Stock of devices designed for TDLS Please visit CW-RT QCL available at ~5.46µm and soon as standard products Possibility to built devices to order We have a booth here! Please contact us Please visit us here in Florence at the exhibition center

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19 References Pulsed QC laser linewidth: K. Namjou et al., Opt. Lett. 23, p. 219 (1998) D. Nelson et al., Appl. Phys. B 75, p. 343 (2002) E. Normand et al., Opt. Lett. 28, p.16 (2003) T. Beyer et al., J. Appl. Phys. 95, p.4551 (2004) Continuous-wave QC laser linewidth: S. Sharpe et al., Opt. Lett. 23, p (1998) R. Williams et al., Opt. Lett. 24, p (1999) T. Myers et al., Opt. Lett. 27, p. 170 (2002) M. Taubman et al., Opt. Lett. 27, p (2002) Chemical sensing: A. Kosterev et al., IEEE J. Quantum Elect. 38, p. 582 (2002) A. Kosterev et al., Appl. Phys. B 74, p. 95 (2002) and many others