Tunable mid-infrared ultrafast fiber laser sources for remote sensing applications - I2I phase I

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The wavelength region ranging between 3 to 5 microns possesses unique features in relation to the modes of vibration of most basic molecules such as H2O, CH4 and CO2. Broadband and coherent sources of light emitting in this region are therefore the ideal tools to identify and monitor molecular species in a given volume or remotely. Although huge market opportunities are expected for these mid-infrared lasers, existing sources have striven to enter the commercial realm due their limited performances, their high complexity and inherent cost of acquisition and maintenance. In this I2I proposal, we propose a simple and novel approach based on the use of fluoride glass fibers for the generation of a highly stable, broadband spectrum that can be continuously tuned in the mid-IR spectral region. This laser system consists of a fiber oscillator that generates ultrashort pulses at 2.8 microns and an external gain fiber for the amplification and redshifting of those pulses above 3 microns. A market study funded by the NSERC I2I program and Université Laval showed that such ultrafast fiber based lasers would be the ideal source for active remote sensing of greenhouse gas and more specifically for the detection of methane leaks in the oil and gas industry. This source will thus be ruggedized and optimized so that it can used on the field and be efficiently tuned over the 3.4 microns region, where CH4 bonds have a strong spectral signature. Industrial partners such as ABB and Gas Plume Imaging have already showed their keen interest for the development of such source. As this mid-IR laser possess unique temporal and spectral properties, it can be easily adapted for several other potential applications ranging from mid-IR supercontinuum generation to active countermeasures, as demonstrated by our partner DRDC Valcartier. The development of this source will trigger the transfer of the fluoride fiber laser technology that our group have been pioneering to the benefit of a Canadian startup arising from our laboratory as well as to our industrial partners.