SBIR Phase II: Self-Aligned Miniature External Cavity Tunable Laser from Blue-Violet to Infrared

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目专注于新型微型自对准可调谐二极管激光器的开发、制造和商业化。与目前可用的产品和技术相比，可调谐激光平台具有两大优势：(1)被动光学对准和组装；(2)从可见光(375 Nm)到红外(4,000 nm)的极宽光谱覆盖。自对准功能使制造变得更加简单和高效，光学设计使新平台比商用可调谐二极管激光器紧凑两个数量级。这些特点结合在一起，大大降低了与组装和包装相关的劳动力成本。研究的目的是确定能够使(1)稳定的单频工作，(2)线宽小于30 KHz，(3)小于1 MHz波长漂移的无源腔的参数。开发将输出调整到特定目标波长的方法也是至关重要的。可调谐激光器的原型将被制造成三个波长组：蓝色(400-415 nm)？红色(635-660 nm)和近红外(760-790 nm)。这一新的激光平台将支持广泛的技术领域。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力与减少能源使用或促进可再生能源实施的商业应用直接相关。具体地说，这种激光技术可以通过监测和优化发动机和燃煤电厂等燃烧过程的效率(通过红外可调谐激光的气体传感)来帮助减少碳排放。这项技术将帮助加快环境传感站的部署，为传感系统提供关键光源，成本只有今天S的一小部分。第二个作用是提供激光器的非热操作，这可以通过消除对激光器的冷却要求来显著降低电信系统的能源消耗。第三个应用将是通过实现？SMART？风力涡轮机。基于激光的风传感器将为每个人提供？智能？风力发电场的涡轮机能够提前很久地对风负荷进行先发制人的评估和准确预测，有助于提高整体涡轮机的效率和利用率。这些信息对于电网的能源供应规划至关重要。所有这些应用都具有立竿见影的商业潜力，有助于减少世界S对化石燃料的依赖。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of a novel miniature self-aligned tunable diode laser. The tunable laser platform offers two major advantages compared to currently available products and technologies: (1) passive optical alignment and assembly; and (2) extremely broad spectral coverage from visible (375nm) to the infrared (4,000nm). The self-alignment feature translates to much simpler and efficient manufacturing, and the optical design enables the new platform to be two orders of magnitude more compact than commercially available tunable diode lasers. These features combine to considerably lower the labor costs associated with assembly and packaging. The research objectives are to determine the parameters of the passive cavity that enable (1) stable single frequency operation, (2) a linewidth less than 30KHz, and (3) less than 1MHz wavelength drift. It is also critical to develop methods to tune the output to a specific target wavelength. Prototypes of the tunable laser will be built for three wavelength groups: blue (400-415 nm) ? Red (635-660 nm) and near-infrared (760-790 nm). This novel laser platform will enable a broad range of technology areas.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project has direct links to commercial applications that decrease energy use or promote renewable energy implementation. Specifically, this laser technology can assist the reduction of carbon emissions by monitoring and optimizing efficiencies in combustion processes such as engines and coal plants (via gas sensing with infrared tunable lasers). The technology will help accelerate the deployment of environmental sensing stations by providing the key optical source for sensing systems at a fraction of today?s cost. A second role would be to provide athermal operation of lasers, which could significantly reduce the energy consumption in telecommunication systems by eliminating the requirement for cooling the lasers.A third application would be improving the efficiency of renewable wind power (via wind sensing with blue-violet lasers) by enabling ?smart? wind turbines. A laser-based wind sensor would provide each ?smart? turbine of a wind farm with the ability to preemptively assess and accurately predict the wind load far in advance, helping improve overall turbine efficiency and utilization. This information is critical to the planning of energy supply into the power grid. All of these applications have immediate commercial potential to help reduce the World?s dependence on fossil fuels.