Product News: New QCLs from 10µm to 17µm for Monitoring BTX, CH3I and HCN

FLC is a partner of mirSense, a supplier of off-the-shelf Industrial Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL) and QCL-based spectrometer modules for Industrial & Defense applications. For the first time, based on an InAs-technology, single frequency DFB lasers are commercially available in the wavelength range from 10-17µm and output power of 5 - 10mW. The laser is mounted on a thermoelectric cooler inside a sealed High Heat Load (HHL) package integrating a collimation lens and a thermistor to readout the laser chip temperature. By controlling the chip’s operating temperature through the Peltier element inside the laser’s package, customers tune the emission wavelength without mode hopping while keeping a longitudinal single-mode operation.

They open the way for high resolution spectroscopy applications for detection and monitoring of molecules of many substances such as the aromatics Benzene (~14.9µm), Toluene (~16µm) and Xylene Propane (~14µm) as well as Methyl Iodide (CH₃I) (~11.3µm) and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) (~15.9µm). Detection and monitoring of these substances is most important in the Oil & Gas, Chemical and Nuclear Industry. An early detection of the radioactive CH₃I in a nuclear power plant for can reduce the risk of a serious accident, preventing a shut-down of the plant and might save many lives.