Article comprising an improved QC laser
US5901168A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 7, 1997 |
| Grant date | May 4, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 7, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/1228
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
It has been found that previously known quantum cascade (QC) lasers have a shortcoming that substantially decreases their usefulness as radiation sources for pollution monitoring and other potential applications that involve absorption measurements. Except at cryogenic temperatures, these lasers have to be driven in pulse mode and are inherently multimode. We have now established that this shortcoming can be overcome by provision of appropriate distributed feedback. Resulting lasers (QC-DFB lasers) can have single mode mid-IR output at or near room temperature, can have significant optical power, and be continuously tunable over a significant spectral region.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.