SBIR-STTR Award

Wavelength agile sources in the Mid Wave and Long Wave Infrared (MWIR / LWIR) will be extremely useful for spectroscopy and free space communications applications. The combination of high speed packaging technology with broadly tuned, external cavity, quantum cascade laser technology will lead to sources that can provide for high data rate communications as well as molecular detection in the 3-12µm regime. In this proposal, we present a plan that will demonstrate the feasibility of accomplishing this goal through the development of a MEMS-based wavelength tuning mechanism, robust packaging and 3-12µm external cavity technology. A demonstration of wavelength agile tuning through the use of Silicon MEMS gratings in an external cavity using quantum cascade gain media will be performed. This wavelength agile source will be packaged in a robust, high speed telecommunications package and will demonstrate modulation switching speeds of faster than 10ns together with broad tuning across a wide spectral region in the 9-10µm regime. The demonstrated combination of these two efforts will provide the technical basis for a successful Phase II program associated with the development and commercialization of wavelength agile sources in the 3-12µm regime for spectroscopy and free space communications.

Keywords:
Spectroscopy, Tunable Laser, Wavelength Agile, Communications, Quantum Cascade, Mems, Packaging

There is a growing need for compact mid-IR laser sources in the scientific, military, homeland security, industrial control, and medical diagnostics markets. Daylight Solutions plans to develop a compact mid-IR quantum cascade laser (QCL) source that is suitable for optical communications and high-power applications, has broad tunability for spectroscopic applications, and is highly manufacturable in a Telecom package. The Phase I effort consisted of proof-of-principle demonstrations of a mid-IR QCL that can be assembled in a reliable way in a compact package, has good frequency selectivity, and is wavelength tunable over a limited range with a movable MEMS grating. Building on the technical success of the Phase I program, the objectives of the Phase II effort are to a) redesign the optical layout for improved beam characteristics and thermal load capacity, b) simplify the repeatable construction of these devices through robotic placement of components, and c) incorporate new MEMS tuning elements for frequency selective feedback over a significantly broader tuning range. The successful completion of the Phase II program will provide the necessary stepping stones to Phase III. The result of this effort will be a novel compact, high-power, wavelength agile mid-IR laser that does not currently exist on the market.

Keywords:
Quantum Cascade Laser, External Cavity, High Power, Mid Infrared, Broad Tunability, Mems Grating, Molecular Detection, Ircm