"Quantum Cascade Laser and MEMS Spectrometers"
Erik R. Deutsch
Presenting author: Erik R. Deutsch
Block Engineering, 377 Simarano Drive, Marlborough, MA 01752, USA
This lecture will describe two innovative technologies advancing vibrational spectroscopy. Data from various applications will be presented. The first technology is a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) spectrometer. The laser uses a pulsed QCL chip as a gain medium in an external cavity that rapidly tunes through 600 wavenumbers in the mid-IR. By combining the tunable source with a detector and high speed embedded electronics, the absorption characteristics at the incident wavelength produce a spectrum. The laser enables new areas of study that require high brightness, including microscopy, trace chemical and vapor detection, and fiber-based measurement techniques. The second technology is a miniaturized traditional FTIR spectrometer using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The monolithically built surface-micromachined Michelson interferometer self-aligns to multi layered datums and, when combined with a miniature source and detector, enables a low-cost, pen-sized spectrometer that can detect, identify, and quantify chemicals in the mid-IR.