DFB laser diodes in the wavelength range from 760 nm to 2.5 microm

We present a novel device technology to produce DFB laser diodes which are suitable for tunable diode laser spectroscopy. The new technological approach employs lateral metal distributed feedback (DFB) gratings in close proximity to the laser ridge which results in single mode emission with high spectral purity and output powers as required for most spectroscopic applications. Over the entire wavelength range from the visible (760 nm) up to the near-infrared (2.5 microm) single mode emission can be obtained for devices based on different semiconductor systems such as GaAs, InP and GaSb. Typical side mode suppression ratios are better than 35 dB for cw-room temperature operation and narrow linewidths ensure high spectroscopic resolution.     

A novel single frequency stabilized Fabry-Perot laser diode at 1590 nm for gas sensing

A novel single frequency stabilized Fabry-Perot (SFP) laser diode with an emission wavelength of lambda = 1590 nm for H2S gas sensing is reported. Sculpting of the multi-mode spectral distribution of a FP laser to achieve single frequency emission is carried out using post growth photolitographic processing of the device. The resulting longitudinal-mode controlled FP laser has a stabilized single frequency emission with a side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of 40 dB. The application of this device to spectroscopic based H2S sensing is demonstrated by targeting absorption lines in the wavelength range 1588 < or = lambda < or = 1591 nm. Using wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS), a low detection limit of 120 ppm x m x Hz(-1/2) was estimated while targeting the absorption line at 1590.08 nm. These initial results demonstrate the potential of the stabilized FP laser diode at this wavelength as a tunable, single frequency source for spectroscopic based gas sensing.     

Distributed feedback grating fabricated from hybrid polymer precursor gel by employing short‐pulse laser interference for photopumped polymer laser applications

The application of hybrid polymer precursor gel for distributed feedback (DFB) grating laser fabricated by short‐pulse laser interference has been investigated. The precursor gel was prepared by sol–gel process from siloxane‐modified methacrylate monomer. The molecular structure characterization results show the formation of inorganic networks within the precursor gel, which further undergoes the formation of organic–inorganic polymer network by photopolymerization. The laser interference was performed by using the frequency‐tripled output of nanosecond Nd–YAG laser. The fabricated DFB gratings exhibit photopumped lasing actions with high consistency between the grating periodicity (between 380 and 1030 nm) and the lasing wavelength, which appears at the wavelength of the second‐order Bragg reflection. The atomic force microcopy measurements clearly show the formation of surface relief (corrugated) structure in those gratings. The mechanism of surface relief formation is attributed to a fast photo‐induced swelling process, which is unique property belonging to this kind of hybrid polymer precursor gel. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Collisional relaxation of the three vibrationally excited difluorobenzene isomers by collisions with CO2: effect of donor vibrational mode

Relaxation of highly vibrationally excited 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4-difluorobenzne (DFB) by collisions with carbon dioxide has been investigated using diode laser transient absorption spectroscopy. Vibrationally hot DFB (E' approximately 41,000 cm(-1)) was prepared by 248 nm excimer laser excitation followed by rapid radiationless relaxation to the ground electronic state. Collisions between hot DFB isomers and CO2 result in large amounts of rotational and translational energy transfer from the hot donors to the bath. The CO2 nascent rotational population distribution of the high-J (J = 58-80) tail of the 00(0)0 state was probed at short times following the excimer laser pulse to measure rate constants and probabilities for collisions populating these states. The amount of translational energy gained by CO2 during collisions was determined using Doppler spectroscopy to measure the width of the absorption line for each transition. The energy transfer probability distribution function, P(E,E'), for the large DeltaE tail was obtained by resorting the state-indexed energy transfer probabilities as a function of DeltaE. P(E,E') was fit to a biexponential function to determine the average energy transferred in a single DFB/CO2 collision and fit parameters describing the shape of P(E,E'). P(E,E') fit parameters for DFB/CO2 and the previously studied C6F6/CO2 system are compared to various donor molecular properties. A model based on Fermi's Golden Rule indicates that the shape of P(E,E') is primarily determined by the low-frequency out-of-plane donor vibrational modes. A fractional mode population analysis is performed, which suggests that for energy transfer from DFB and C6F6 to CO2 the two key donor vibrational modes from which energy leaks out of the donor into the bath are nu11 and nu16. These "gateway" modes are some of the same modes determined to be the most efficient energy transfer modes by quantum scattering studies of benzene/He collisions.     

Spatially resolved concentration studies of ground state atoms and ions in an ICP: saturated absorption spectroscopic method

The saturated absorption spectroscopic method allows the direct determination of spatial distributions of absorbing species m a plasma to be made. Unlike most other emission and absorption methods which assume radial symmetry and require tedious Abel inversions, this method can be used regardless of the plasma symmetry because of its high spatial resolution. These characteristics are demonstrated with a 27.2 MHz ICP, utilizing short and long torches at power levels of 1.25 kW and 500 W for emission and fluorescence configurations, respectively. Distributions of Sr ground state atoms as well as Ba ground state ions were obtained under various conditions, using a single pulsed dye laser output as the spectroscopic probe in this diagnostic method.     

Characteristics of several NIR tuneable diode lasers for spectroscopic based gas sensing: a comparison

Tuneable laser diodes were characterized and compared for use as tuneable sources in gas absorption spectroscopy. Specifically, the characteristics of monolithic widely tuneable single frequency lasers, such as sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector laser and modulated grating Y-branch laser diodes, recently developed for optical communications, with operating wavelengths in the 1,520 nm相似文献   

基于DFB型半导体激光器的腔增强吸收光谱研究

The Cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy based on a tunable DFB diode laser (TDL-CEAS) was described. A brief introduction of cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy development and experimental scheme was given, the effective absorption path of the medium in the optical cavity was interpreted from the way of Fabry Perot cavity. It is pointed out that the main reason why CEAS has high detection sensitivity is that the medium in the cavity can get a long absorption path. A tunable DFB diode laser which center wavelength is 1.573 μm was used as the light source, and an optical cavity which consists of two high reflectivity mirrors (near 1.573 μm, R about 0.994) separated at a distance of 34 cm was used as the absorption cell. Laser radiation was coupled into the optical cavity via accidental coincidences of laser frequency with the cavity mode when scanning the cavity and the laser. An absorption spectrum of carbon dioxide near 1.573 μm was obtained and a detection sensitivity of about 1.66×10-5 cm-1 was achieved. It is experimentally demonstrated that the CEAS is a highly sensitive and high resolution spectrum technology, and it has the advantage of simple experimental setup and easy operation.     

Novel Helmholtz-based photoacoustic sensor for trace gas detection at ppm level using GaInAsSb/GaAlAsSb DFB lasers

A new and compact photoacoustic sensor for trace gas detection in the 2-2.5 microm atmospheric window is reported. Both the development of antimonide-based DFB lasers with singlemode emission in this spectral range and a novel design of photoacoustic cell adapted to the characteristics of these lasers are discussed. The laser fabrication was made in two steps. The structure was firstly grown by molecular beam epitaxy then a metallic DFB grating was processed. The photoacoustic cell is based on a Helmholtz resonator that was designed in order to fully benefit from the highly divergent emission of the antimonide laser. An optimized modulation scheme based on wavelength modulation of the laser source combined with second harmonic detection has been implemented for efficient suppression of wall noise. Using a 2211 nm laser, sub-ppm detection limit has been demonstrated for ammonia.     

Trends in single-cell analysis by use of ICP-MS

The analysis of single cells is a growing research field in many disciplines such as toxicology, medical diagnosis, drug and cancer research or metallomics, and different methods based on microscopic, mass spectrometric, and spectroscopic techniques are under investigation. This review focuses on the most recent trends in which inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and ICP optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) are applied for single-cell analysis using metal atoms being intrinsically present in cells, taken up by cells (e.g., nanoparticles), or which are artificially bound to a cell. For the latter, especially element tagged antibodies are of high interest and are discussed in the review. The application of different sample introduction systems for liquid analysis (pneumatic nebulization, droplet generation) and elemental imaging by laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) of single cells are highlighted. Because of the high complexity of biological systems and for a better understanding of processes and dynamics of biologically or medically relevant cells, the authors discuss the idea of “multimodal spectroscopies.”     

Rapid survey analysis of polymeric materials by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. An analytical note

An Nd-Yag laser (1064 nm) in combination with a multichannel emission spectrometer was used for rapid survey analysis of polymers and paints. A novel design feature of the ablation chamber was the incorporation of a graphite furnace to effect electrothermal pretreatments of samples. Transient emission signals were studied as a function of laser operating mode, laser duration and flashlamp energy.Presented in part at the 1989 European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, Reutte, Austria     

Effect of broadband amplified spontaneous emission on absorption measurements in phase-shift off-axis cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy

Phase-shift cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy has been described for the case of an off-axis alignment of an optical cavity formed by high reflectivity mirrors. The effect of laser broadband amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from a DFB diode laser (1605 nm) has been analysed for absorption measurements extracted from the phase-shift of the intensity modulated beam. A simple model has been proposed for extraction of actual absorption spectra and linestrengths from the phase and amplitude measurements. It has been shown that omitting the ASE contribution to the cavity output light intensity may lead to an overestimation of absorption linestrength.     

Near-infrared diode laser spectroscopy of free radicals

Spectroscopic results on the radicals HCSi, CCO, and FeC obtained by studying in detail energy level structures using 0.8 microm diode laser system are reported. Of these radicals, the CCO radical was investigated mainly using Fabry-Perot type diode lasers with inconvenient mode gaps in the early stage of our near-infrared diode laser spectroscopic study of free radicals, and on the other hand, the FeC and HCSi radicals were studied using an external cavity diode laser. For the FeC radical, which is an interesting radical composed of an iron atom having 3d electrons, information on spin-orbit interaction between the triplet electronic ground state and a low-lying singlet electronic excited state is reported somewhat in detail. For the HCSi and CCO radicals, spectral particularities produced by a Renner-Teller interaction and a spin-orbit interaction are described for their high-resolution spectroscopic interest.     

A Photoisomerization‐Activated Intramolecular Charge‐Transfer Process for Broadband‐Tunable Single‐Mode Microlasers

Miniaturized lasers with high spectral purity and wide wavelength tunability are crucial for various photonic applications. Here we propose a strategy to realize broadband‐tunable single‐mode lasing based on a photoisomerization‐activated intramolecular charge‐transfer (ICT) process in coupled polymer microdisk cavities. The photoisomerizable molecules doped in the polymer microdisks can be quantitatively transformed into a kind of laser dye with strong ICT character by photoexcitation. The gain region was tailored over a wide range through the self‐modulation of the optically activated ICT isomers. Meanwhile, the resonant modes shifted with the photoisomerization because of a change in the effective refractive index of the polymer microdisk cavity. Based on the synergetic modulation of the optical gain and microcavity, we realized the broadband tuning of the single‐mode laser. These results offer a promising route to fabricate broadband‐tunable microlasers towards practical photonic integrations.     

Fiber-optic evanescent-field laser sensor for in-situ gas diagnostics

A compact, rugged and portable fiber-optic evanescent-field laser sensor is developed for the detection of gaseous species in harsh environments such as volcano fumaroles or industrial combustion of glass furnaces. The sensor consists of an optical multi-mode fused silica fiber with jacket and cladding removed and the bare fiber core in direct contact with the surrounding molecules. The beam of a single-mode DFB diode laser with an emission wavelength centered at 1.5705 microm is coupled into the fiber. At the other end of the fiber an infrared detector is used to record the transmitted infrared laser light intensity. Due to the frustrated total reflection (FTR) and the attenuated total reflection (ATR) the laser intensity is attenuated when passing through the fiber. The FTR is related to a change of the index of refraction while the latter one is related to a change of the absorption coefficient. While tuning the DFB laser wavelength across absorption lines of molecules surrounding the fiber a spectral intensity profile is measured. Voigt functions are fitted to the recorded intensity profiles to estimate relative molecule concentrations. In this paper results from first field measurements at the volcano site 'Solfatara' in Italy are reported that use such a sensor device for simultaneous detection of H2S, CO2 and H2O directly in the gas stream of a volcano fumarole.     

J-mixing Effect of the Crystal-field on the Spectroscopic Characteristics of Rare-earth Doped Laser Crystals

1INTRODUCTIONJudd-Ofelttheory""'pointsoutthatthemaincontributiontotheelectricdipole(ED)transitionwithin4fxconfigurationofrare-earthionsinthecrystalarisesfromtheinteractionoftheodd-ordertermsinthestaticordynamiccrystal-field(CF)pcrtential,whichadmixopposite-parityconfigurationsinto4fxconfigurationandhencepermittheEDtransitionwithin4fxconfiguration.InthederivationofJudd-Ofeltformula,itisassumedthatthetotalangularmomentumJ,remainsagoodquantumnumber.However,inthecrystal,theirreducib1erepre…     

Application of antimonide diode lasers in photoacoustic spectroscopy

First investigations of photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy (PAS) of methane using an antimonide semiconductor laser are reported. The laser fabrication is made in two steps. The structure is firstly grown by molecular beam epitaxy, then a metallic distributed-feedback (DFB) grating is processed. The laser operates at 2371.6 nm in continuous wave and at room temperature. It demonstrates single-mode emission with typical tuning coefficients of 0.04 nm mA(-1) and 0.2 nm K(-1). PA detection of methane was performed by coupling this laser into a radial PA cell. A detection limit of 20 ppm has been achieved in a preliminary configuration that was not optimised for the laser characteristics.     

Near-Infrared mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probe for cysteine based on difluoroboron curcuminoid derivatives

A highly selective dual-channel NIR fl uorescent probe (DFB1) based on curcuminoid difl uoroboron is developed for discrimination Cys over GSH, Hcy and other amino acids in mitochondria of living cells.     

Photostablity and amplified spontaneous emission in dye-activated new organic-inorganic hybrid material

This paper reports on the lasing action of some dyes (pyrromethene 597, pyrromethene 567 and Rhodamin B) incorporated into a new organic-inorganic hybrid material. The amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was studied under 532 nm, laser excitation in transverse pumping configuration for the prepared rod samples. The influence of the dye concentration on the amplified spontaneous emission peak wavelengths, the output energies, the gain and the energy conversion efficiencies were studied. Relatively high efficiencies (up to ∼64%) were obtained with good photostabilities where a decrease to ∼30% of the initial amplified spontaneous emission output energy were observed after pumping by 60,000 shots at relatively high repetition rate (10 Hz) and energy (15 mJ).     

Ultraviolet laser-induced fluorescence detection strategies in capillary electrophoresis: determination of naphthalene sulphonates in river water

Various UV-laser-induced fluorescence detection strategies for capillary electrophoresis (CE) are compared, i.e. two UV-laser systems (a pulsed laser providing up to 25 mW of tunable emission, applied at 280, 290 and 325 nm, and a continuous wave (cw) laser providing up to 100 mW of 257 nm emission) and different methods to collect the fluorescence emission signal and to reduce the background. Attention is focused on the determination of amino- and hydroxy-substituted naphthalene sulphonates (NS) in river water; these analytes exhibit native fluorescence upon UV excitation. Optimum results were obtained by applying only a minor portion of the available (average) laser powers, viz. 0.7 mW at 280 nm for the pulsed laser, and 5 mW for the cw laser. For emission collection, the most favourable results were obtained with a mirror-based microscope objective, which facilitates efficient spatial filtering and does not produce impurity fluorescence upon UV-laser irradiation. For standard solutions, the cw laser gave around 20-fold better detection limits (10⁻⁹–10⁻¹⁰ M) than the pulsed laser. For river water, excitation of interferences (presumably humic acids, which exhibit native fluorescence) could be much better suppressed if the pulsed laser was used with selective excitation at 280 nm. Therefore, for real-sample analysis the latter combination is to be preferred. The set-up was used for the identification and quantification (at the 1–35 μg l⁻¹ level) of NS in a river Elbe sample.     

Dual-pulse Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for analysis of gaseous and aerosol systems: Plasma-analyte interactions

Dual-pulse LIBS has been previously investigated to a large extent on solid and liquid phase analytes, where it has been demonstrated to significantly enhance atomic emission signal intensity, and more importantly, to enhance the analyte peak-to-base and signal-to-noise ratios. This study focuses on the effects of an orthogonal dual-pulse laser configuration on the atomic emission response for both purely gaseous and calcium-based aerosol samples. The gaseous sample consisted of purified (i.e. aerosol free) air, from which nitrogen and oxygen spectral emission lines were analyzed. Measurements for the gaseous system resulted in no notable improvements with the dual-pulse configuration as compared to the single-pulse LIBS. Experiments were also conducted in purified air seeded with calcium-rich particles, which revealed a marked improvement in calcium atomic emission peak-to-base (∼ 2-fold increase) and signal-to-noise ratios (∼ 4-fold increase) with the dual-pulse configuration. In addition to increased analyte response, dual-pulse LIBS yielded an enhanced single-particle sampling rate when compared to conventional LIBS. Transmission measurements with respect to the plasma-creating laser pulse were recorded for both single and dual-pulse methods over a range of temporal delays. In consideration of the spectroscopic and transmission data, the plasma-analyte interactions realized with a dual-pulse methodology are explained in terms of the interaction with the initially expanding plasma shock wave, which differs between gaseous and particulate phase analytes, as reported in a recent study [V. Hohreiter, D.W. Hahn, Calibration effects for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of gaseous sample streams: analyte response of gas-phase species versus solid-phase species, Anal. Chem. 77 (2005) 1118–1124].