SBIR Phase I: Compact, Tunable, GaN Diode Lasers

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目提出开发一种新型的单片外腔，以调谐目前在375和440 nm之间市售的近紫外激光二极管。外腔将提供对激射波长和腔光路的电光控制，从而实现在5-10 nm部分上的单模、无模式跳变调谐。整个光学封装将是厘米大小，环境稳健，并提供2-10 mW的光功率。调谐速度建议在毫秒的时间尺度。具有这些调谐特性的可调谐蓝光和可见光激光二极管将用于许多光分子、元素和生物材料的光谱传感器。从紫色到红外的可调谐二极管激光器将对科学教育、研究团体和经济产生更广泛的影响。教育工作者应该欢迎染料激光器的低成本替代品，允许以适度的预算进行复杂的原子和分子光谱实验。研究人员应该能够在他们的实验中使用更广泛的波长。可调谐蓝光和可见光激光二极管将在科学研究市场上获得早期的商业成功，取代麻烦的染料激光系统和昂贵的倍频钛蓝宝石激光器。我们的激光器坚固而紧凑的外形，加上对输出波长的决定性控制，应该能够为手持式设备、发动机排气传感器和燃烧监测提供各种现场光谱传感器，

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project proposes to develop a novel, monolithic external-cavity to tune near-UV laser diodes now commercially available between 375 and 440 nm. The external cavity will provide electro-optic control over both the lasing wavelength and the cavity optical path enabling single-mode, mode-hop-free tuning over 5-10 nm sections. The entire optical package will be centimeter sized, environmentally robust, and deliver 2-10 mW of optical power. Tuning speeds are proposed to be in millisecond time scales. Tunable blue and visible laser diodes with these tuning characteristics would be useful for spectroscopy-based sensors of many light molecules, elements, and biogenic materials.Tunable diode lasers from the violet to the IR would have broader impacts to scientific education, the research community, and to the economy. Educators should welcome low-cost alternatives to dye lasers allowing sophisticated atomic and molecular spectroscopy experiments to be performed with modest budgets. Researchers should be able to use a wider variety of wavelengths in their experiments. Tunable blue and visible laser diodes would find early commercial success in the scientific research markets where they would replace troublesome dye-laser systems and expensive frequency-doubled Ti-Sapphire lasers. The robust and compact form factor of our laser, combined with decisive control over the output wavelength should enable a wide variety of in-situ spectroscopy-based sensors for hand-held devices, engine exhaust sensors, and combustion monitoring,