Tunable External Cavity Quantum Cascade Lasers (EC-QCL): an application field for MOEMS based scanning gratings

Abstract

In situ process information in the chemical, pharmaceutical or food industry as well as emission monitoring, sensitive trace detection and biological sensing applications would increasingly rely on MIR-spectroscopic analysis in the 3 μm - 12 μm wavelength range. However, cost effective, portable, low power consuming and fast spectrometers with a wide tuning range are not available so far. To provide these MIR-spectrometer properties, the combination of quantum cascade lasers with a MOEMS scanning grating as wavelength selective element in the external cavity is addressed to provide a very compact and fast tunable laser source for spectroscopic analysis.