Proof of concept external ring cavity Quantum Cascade Laser

我们提出了一种新型的基于外环腔的量子级联激光器。外腔已经被用来扩大QCL器件的可用调谐范围。事实上，从大约7微米到11微米的调谐已经从外腔QCL(ECQCL)得到了验证。此外，使用环形腔来产生可广泛调谐且高度稳定的单频激光是众所周知的(事实上，M Squared基于这样的几何结构生产最先进的钛：蓝宝石激光产品)。我们建议利用这两种方法，即外部环形腔，以及M Squared在低噪声驱动电子和稳定光学安装方面的专有技术，来生产概念验证的环形ECQCL，其在全红外波段(MWIR和LWIR)具有最先进的调谐范围，并结合典型的光谱纯度。窄线宽环QCL是一种令人兴奋的平台技术，它将支持并显著改善环境可持续发展、医药和医疗保健以及国防和安全等关键领域的应用。从成功的项目成果中产生的产品将是一个创新的系统，提供显著改进的性能和功能，并采用固有的可靠性设计，这些功能将与直观的用户界面相结合，为最终用户提供强大的新技术，以驱动新的高价值应用。

We propose to construct a new type of Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) device, based on anexternal ring cavity. External cavities have already been utilised to expand the availabletuning range of QCL devices. Indeed tuning from around 7 microns up to 11 microns has beendemonstrated from an external cavity QCL (ECQCL). In addition the use of ring cavities toproduce widely tuneable and highly stable single frequency laser light is well known (indeedM Squared produce a state-of-art Titanium:Sapphire laser product based on such a geometry).We propose here to leverage both of these approaches i.e. an external ring cavity, togetherwith M Squared’s proprietary technologies in relation to low noise drive electronics and stableoptical mounting, to produce a proof of concept ring ECQCL with state-of-the-art tuning rangeacross the full infrared waveband (MWIR and LWIR) combined with exemplary spectralpurity. A narrow linewidth ring QCL is an exciting platform technology which will bothenable and significantly improve applications in key areas such as environmentalsustainability, medicines and healthcare as well as defence and security. A product arisingfrom a successful project outcome would be an innovative system offering significantlyimproved performance and functionality and be designed with inherent reliability, thesefeatures will be combined with a intuitive user interface to provide end users with a powerfulnew technology to drive new high value applications.