Novel low cost electronically tunable external cavity laser for high resolution spectroscopy

外腔半导体激光器(ECDL)可以在高分辨率光谱等科学和商业应用中取代更复杂的激光器，但目前ECDL使用的机械波长调谐方法从根本上限制了它们的调谐范围(灵活性)和分辨率(线宽)，并阻止了多波长同步运行。缓解措施增加了显著的复杂性和成本。2TP已经发现了一个机会，可以使用仅相位全息技术创建一个没有这些限制的ECDL，创造一个价值阶跃变化。2TP项目将证明能够为用户提供更好的可调谐ECDL的技术，这将为用户提供更好的性能和负担能力，从而夺取2TP的市场份额。为了交付拟议的项目2TP将需要解决以下领域的挑战：·化学研究液晶化学和气体吸收线的光谱建模·物理建模，高分辨率滤光片和低成本激光的实验·软件-使用遗传算法控制ECDL运行·集成-制造和测试技术方面该项目将交付：a.一个可寻址的高分辨率波长可选滤光器，没有机械移动部件电子控制，软件可重构技术将在结构上简化，具有多波长同步操作能力。一种低成本、高分辨率的ECDL，具有宽调谐范围，能够进行多种物种的检测。一种基于上述a)和b)的多气体检测技术演示器。

External Cavity Diode Lasers (ECDL) can replace the more complex lasers in scientific &commercial applications e.g. high resolution spectroscopy but the mechanical wavelengthtuning approach used by current ECDLs fundamentally restricts their tuning range (flexibility)and resolution (linewidth) and prohibits synchronous multi-wavelength operation. Mitigationmeasures add significant complexity & cost. 2TP has identified an opportunity to use phaseonlyholography create an ECDL without these limitations, creating a value step change. 2TPsproject will prove enabling technologies for a superior tunable ECDL that will offer improvedperformance & affordability for the user, thus capturing market share for 2TP.To deliver the proposed project 2TP will need to address challenges in the areas of:• Chemistry –research liquid crystal chemistries & spectral modelling of gas absorptionlines• Physics – modelling, experiments with high resolution filter & low cost lasers• Software – use of genetic algorithms to control ECDL operation• Integration – manufacture and test aspects of the technologyThe project will deliver:a. An addressable high resolution wavelength selectable filter with no mechanicallymoving parts The electronically controlled, software reconfigurable technology will be simplein construction with multi-wavelength synchronous operation capability.b. A low cost, high resolution ECDL with a wide tuning range, capable of multi-speciesdetection.c. A multi-gas detection technology demonstrator based on a) and b) above.