Widely-Tunable Quantum Cascade Laser Technology for Spectroscopic Sensing and Optical Communication Applications

Wavelength agile sources in the Mid Wave and Long Wave Infrared (MWIR / LWIR) will be extremely useful for spectroscopy and free space communications applications. The combination of high speed packaging technology with broadly tuned, external cavity, quantum cascade laser technology will lead to sources that can provide for high data rate communications as well as molecular detection in the 3-12µm regime. In this proposal, we present a plan that will demonstrate the feasibility of accomplishing this goal through the development of a MEMS-based wavelength tuning mechanism, robust packaging and 3-12µm external cavity technology. A demonstration of wavelength agile tuning through the use of Silicon MEMS gratings in an external cavity using quantum cascade gain media will be performed. This wavelength agile source will be packaged in a robust, high speed telecommunications package and will demonstrate modulation switching speeds of faster than 10ns together with broad tuning across a wide spectral region in the 9-10µm regime. The demonstrated combination of these two efforts will provide the technical basis for a successful Phase II program associated with the development and commercialization of wavelength agile sources in the 3-12µm regime for spectroscopy and free space communications.