Gas sensing spectroscopy system utilizing a sample grating distributed feedback quantum cascade laser array and type II superlattice detector

Abstract

Gas spectroscopy is a tool that can be used in a variety of applications. One example is in the medical field, where it can diagnose patients by detecting biomarkers in breath, and another is in the security field, where it can safely alert personnel about ambient concentrations of dangerous gas. In this paper, we document the design and construction of a system compact enough to be easily deployable in defense, healthcare, and chemical safety environments. Current gas sensing systems use basic quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) or distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers (DFB QCLs) with large benchtop signal recovery systems to determine gas concentrations. There are significant issues with these setups, namely the lack of laser tunability and the lack of practicality outside of a very clean lab setting. QCLs are advantageous for gas sensing purposes because they are the most efficient lasers at the mid infrared region (MIR). This is necessary since gases tend to have stronger absorption lines in the MIR range than in the near-infrared (NIR) region. To incorporate the efficiency of a QCL with wide tuning capabilities in the MIR region, sampled grating distributed feedback (SGDFB) QCLs are the answer as they have produced systems that are widely tunable, which is advantageous for scanning a robust and complete absorption spectrum. The system employs a SGDFB QCL array emitter, a Type II InAsSb Superlattice detector receiver, a gas cell, and a cooling system.