NSF Award
0339417
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project proposes to develop a novel, monolithic external-cavity to tune near-UV laser diodes now commercially available between 375 and 440 nm. The external cavity will provide electro-optic control over both the lasing wavelength and the cavity optical path enabling single-mode, mode-hop-free tuning over 5-10 nm sections. The entire optical package will be centimeter sized, environmentally robust, and deliver 2-10 mW of optical power. Tuning speeds are proposed to be in millisecond time scales. Tunable blue and visible laser diodes with these tuning characteristics would be useful for spectroscopy-based sensors of many light molecules, elements, and biogenic materials.<br/><br/>Tunable diode lasers from the violet to the IR would have broader impacts to scientific education, the research community, and to the economy. Educators should welcome low-cost alternatives to dye lasers allowing sophisticated atomic and molecular spectroscopy experiments to be performed with modest budgets. Researchers should be able to use a wider variety of wavelengths in their experiments. Tunable blue and visible laser diodes would find early commercial success in the scientific research markets where they would replace troublesome dye-laser systems and expensive frequency-doubled Ti-Sapphire lasers. The robust and compact form factor of our laser, combined with decisive control over the output wavelength should enable a wide variety of in-situ spectroscopy-based sensors for hand-held devices, engine exhaust sensors, and combustion monitoring,
