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A TUNABLE ROOM TEMPERATURE INFRARED LASER FOR MEASURING ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTANTS

Award Information
Agency: Department of Energy
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 27247
Amount: $749,897.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1995
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
45 Manning Rd
Billerica, MA 01821
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Dr Roger S Putnam
 (508) 663-9500
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

SOLID STATE LASER SOURCES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR MEASURING GREENHOUSE GASES, COMBUSTION PRODUCTS, AND OTHER SPECIES ACROSS THE 3 TO 30 MICRON REGION ARE LEAD SALT DIODE LASERS WHICH OPERATE AT LIQUID NITROGEN TEMPERATURES. PRACTICAL PROBLEMS INCLUDE THE NEED FOR CRYOGENIC COOLING, ERRATIC TUNING BEHAVIOR, AND LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF SINGLE MODE DEVICES IN THIS REGION. THE OPPORTUNITY EXISTS TO APPLY INEXPENSIVE, ROOM TEMPERATURE DIODE LASERS WHICH ARE NOW READILY AVAILABLE WITH ENOUGH POWER TO DIRECTLY DRIVE A NONLINEAR DIFFERENCE-FREQUENCY INFRARED GENERATOR. THE FACTS THAT THE NEW DIODE LASERS PRODUCE ENOUGH POWER, ARE AVAILABLE WITH 10 MHZ LINEWIDTHS WITHOUT AN EXTERNAL CAVITY, ARE TUNABLE, AND ARE REMARKABLY EFFICIENT MAKE THIS APPLICATION AN IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVES INVOLVE THE BASIC DEMONSTRATION OF GENERATING TUNABLE INFRARED IN THE 10 MICRON REGION USING DIODE LASERS AND A GALLIUM SELENIDE CRYSTAL WITH A UNIQUE OPTICAL DESIGN WHICH COMPENSATES FOR BEAM WALK-OFF AND PERMITS THE WIDE TUNABILITY OF AN ANGLE-TUNED SYSTEM WITH NEARLY THE SAME CONVERSION EFFICIENCY POSSIBLE IN A 90 DEGREES PHASE-MATCHED SYSTEM. THE CALCULATE 10 MICRON POWER OF 0.25 MICROWATTS WILL RESULT IN THE DESIRED ABSORPTION SENSITIVITY OF 10(-5)/CM IN ONE SECOND, USING A STANDARD 1 MM MERCURY CADMIUM TELLURIDE DETECTOR WITH A DETECTIVITY OF 4 X 10(10) AND A 0.6 METER LONG MULTIPASS CELL WITH A 100 METER PATH LENGTH.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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