SBIR Phase I: Compact Wavelength Sensor for Digital Control and Stabilization of Tunable Lasers

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a compact, robust wavelength sensor for digital control of tunable lasers. During this project the company will design and build a wavelength sensor that can provide an error signal for feedback to a pulsed or cw tunable laser to lock its wavelength. The sensor is based on a novel waveguide circuit, and incorporates no moving parts or bulk optics. After fabrication of the sensor hardware and development of the necessary software algorithms that analyze the sensor data to determine the laser wavelength, the sensor will be tested to determine its measurement stability and resolution. Based on theoretical analysis and previous research, the company expects to demonstrate resolution and accuracy of 1ppm or better. If successful the results will lead to the commercial introduction of wavelength-stabilized, digitally tunable diode lasers. The company believes that these products will have significant market potential in a number of areas, including industrial metrology and atmospheric sensing of trace gases. For example, light from a high-powered, wavelength-stabilized laser diode, coupled to multiple single-mode optical fibers, could be distributed throughout a manufacturing plant to every axis of every machine tool and coordinate measuring machine. The availability of wavelength-stabilized laser diodes will provide the manufacturing industry with an extremely attractive alternative to the commonly used HeNe laser, which is bulky, not very robust, and, because of its low optical power, generally requires a separate laser for each measured axis of every machine tool or CMM.