Distributed Feedback Lasers: 4000 nm - 4600 nm
nanoplus offers DFB interband cascade lasers at any wavelength between 4000 nm and 4600 nm.
Key features of nanoplus DFB interband cascade lasers
- monomode
- continuous wave
- room temperature
- low power consumption
- tunable
- custom wavelengths
Why choose nanoplus DFB interband cascade lasers
- stable longitudinal and transversal single mode emission
- precise selection of target wavelength
- narrow laser line width
- mode-hop-free wavelength tunability
- fast wavelength tuning
- typically > 5 mW output power
- small size
- easy usability
- high efficiency
- long-term stability
For more than 20 years nanoplus has been the technology leader for lasers in gas sensing. We produce lasers at large scale at our own fabrication sites in Gerbrunn and Meiningen. nanoplus cooperates with the leading system integrators in the TDLAS based analyzer industry. More than 30,000 installations worldwide prove the reliability of nanoplus lasers.
Quick description of nanoplus DFB laser technology
nanoplus uses a unique and patented technology for DFB laser manufacturing. We apply a lateral metal grating along the ridge waveguide, which is independent of the material system. Read more about our patented distributed feedback technology.
Related information for nanoplus DFB interband cascade lasers from 4000 nm to 4600 nm
Specifications
Mountings & Accessories
Applications
Papers & Links
The following table summarize the typical DFB laser specifications in the 4000 nm to 4600 nm range:
| parameters | symbol | unit | minimum | typical | maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| operating wavelength (at Top, Iop) | λop | nm | 0.1 nm | ||
| optical output power (at λop) | Pop | mW | 5 | ||
| operating current | Iop | mA | 120 | ||
| operating voltage | Vop | V | 5 | ||
| threshold current | Ith | mA | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| side mode suppression ratio | SMSR | dB | > 35 | ||
| current tuning coefficient | CI | nm / mA | 0.12 | ||
| temperature tuning coefficient | CT | nm / K | 0.45 | ||
| operating chip temperature | Top | °C | +10 | +20 | +50 |
| operating case temperature* | TC | °C | -20 | +25 | +50 |
| storage temperature* | TS | °C | -30 | +20 | +70 |
* non-condensing
nanoplus DFB lasers show outstanding spectral, tuning and electrical properties. They are demonstrated in figures 1 - 3. Click on the graphics to enlarge.
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If you are uncertain whether you require a DFB laser, compare the specifications with our Fabry-Pérot lasers or contact us.
Free space mounting
nanoplus developed a specific free space package for interband cascade lasers. The TO66 header disposes of an extra large thermo-electric cooler. It is hermetically sealed with a black cap and anti reflection coated window. Please click on the mounting for detailed specifications and dimensions.
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OEM mounting
For our OEM customers we offer a very small footprint package that is easy to integrate.
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Accessories
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The nanoplus TO66 heatsink facilitates your laser set up by:
- improved heat distribution
- connectors for laser diode driver
- connectors for temperature controller
- M6 thread for optical posts
- easy use with standard cage systems
Carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, water vapour and most hydrocarbons, like methane, acetylene, formaldehyde and ethane have their strongest absorption features between 3000 nm and 6000 nm.
For detailed absorption data, please refer to HITRAN database and to our Applications by Gas section.
Please find below a selection of related papers from our literature list.
Let us know if you published a paper with our lasers. We will be happy to include it in our literature list.
#2 Advanced Gas Sensing Applications Above 3 µm with DFB Laser Diodes;
L. Naehle, L. Hildebrandt, M. Fischer, J. Koeth, Gases & Instrumentation, March/April 2012, pp. 25-28.
#5 DFB lasers exceeding 3 µm for industrial applications;
L. Naehle, L. Hildebrandt, Laser+Photonics 2012, pp. 78-80.
#7 DFB laser diodes expand hydrocarbon sensing beyond 3 µm;
L. Hildebrandt, L. Naehle, Laser Focus World, January 2012, pp. 87-90.
#8 ICLs open opportuneties for mid-IR seinsing;
L. Naehle, L. Hildebrandt, M. Kamp, S. Hoefling, Laser Focus World, May 2013, pp. 70-73.
#9 DFB Lasers Between 760 nm and 16 µm for Sensing Applications;
W. Zeller, L. Naehle, P. Fuchs, F. Gerschuetz, L. Hildebrandt, J. Koeth, Sensors 2010, 10, pp. 2492-2510.
#13 Continuous-wave operation of type-I quantum well DFB laser diodes emitting in 3.4 µm wavelength range around room temperature;
L. Naehle, S. Belahsene, M. von Edlinger, M. Fischer, G. Boissier, P. Grech, G. Narcy, A. Vicet, Y. Rouillard, J. Koeth and L. Worschech, Electron. Lett. 47, 1, Jan 2011, pp. 46-47.
#26 Corrugated-sidewall interband cascade lasers with single-mode midwave-infrared emission at room temperature;
C.S. Kim, M. Kim, W.W. Bewley, J.R. Lindle, C.L. Canedy, J. Abell, I. Vurgaftman, J.R. Meyer, Appl. Phys. Lett., 95, 2009, 231103.
#36 Single mode interband cascade lasers based on lateral metal gratings;
R. Weih, L. Naehle, Sven Hoefling, J. Koeth, M. Kamp, Appl. Phys. Lett., 105, 7, 2014, pp. 071111.
#40 Comb-assisted spectroscopy of CO2 absorption profiles in the near- and mid-infrared regions;
A. Gambetta, D. Gatti, A. Castrillo, N. Coluccelli, G. Galzerano, P. Laporta, L. Gianfrani, M. Marangoni, Appl. Phys. B, 109, 3, Nov. 2012, pp. 385-390.
#43 Chemical analysis of surgical smoke by infrared laser spectroscopy;
Michele Gianella, Markus W. Sigrist, Appl. Phys. B, 109, 3, Nov. 2012, pp. 485-496.
#54 Demonstration of the self-mixing effect in interband cascade lasers;
K. Bertling, Y.L. Lim, T. Taimre, D. Indjin, P. Dean, R. Weih, S. Hoefling, M. Kamp, M. von Edlinger, J. Koeth, A.D. Rakic, Appl. Phys. Lett., 103, 2013, 231107.
#64 Interband Cascade Lasers - Topical Review;
I. Vurgaftman, R. Weih, M. Kamp, C.L. Canedy, C.S. Kim, M. Kim, W.W. Bewley, C.D. Merritt, J. Abell, S. Hoefling, Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 48, 2015, pp. 123001-12017.
#67 New Opportunities in Mid-Infrared Emission Control;
P. Geiser, Sensors, 2015, pp. 22724-22736.
#75 Interband cascade laser sources in the mid-infrared for green photonics;
J. Koeth, M. von Edlinger, J. Scheuermann, S. Becker, L. Nähle, M. Fischer, R. Weih, M. Kamp, S. Höfling, Proc. SPIE 9767, Novel In-Plane Semiconductor Lasers XV, 976712, March 10, 2016.
#87 Optical‑feedback cavity‑enhanced absorption spectroscopy with an interband cascade laser: application to SO2 trace analysis;
L. Richard, I. Ventrillard, G. Chau, K. Jaulin, E. Kerstel, D. Romanini, Appl. Phys. B, 2016, 122:247.
#94 Compact optical probe for flame temperature and carbon dioxide using interband cascade laser absorption near 4.2 μm;
J. J. Girard, R. M. Spearrin, C. S. Goldenstein, R. K. Hanson, Elsevier, Combustion and Flame, Vol. 178, April 2017, pp. 158 – 167.
#100 Multiheterodyne spectroscopy using interband cascade lasers;
L. A. Sterczewski, J. Westberg, C. L. Patrick, C. S. Kim, M. Kim, C. L. Canedy, W. W. Bewley, C. D. Merritt, I. Vurgaftman, J. R. Meyer and G. Wysocki, Opt. Eng. 57(1), 011014, Jan. 2018.
#101 Single-mode interband cascade laser multiemitter structure for two-wavelength absorption spectroscopy; J. Scheuermann, R. Weih, S. Becker, M. Fischer, J. Koeth, S. Höfling, Opt. Eng. 57(1), 011008, Sept. 2017
#102 Laser detection;
L. Hildebrandt, Hydrocarbon Engineering, Feb. 2018
#104 Mid-infrared heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectroscopy in flame measurements;
L. Ma, Z. Wang, K.-P. Cheong, H. Ning, W. Ren, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2018, pp. 1 - 8.
#106 Design and performance of a dual-laser instrument for multiple isotopologues of carbon dioxide and water;
J. B. McManus, D. D. Nelson and M. S. Zahniser, Optics Express Vol. 23, Issue 5, 2015, pp. 6569-6586.
# 107 Recent progress in laser‑based trace gas instruments: performance and noise analysis;
J. B. McManus, M. S. Zahniser, D. D. Nelson et. al., Appl. Phys. B, 2015, 119: 203.
#112 Mid-infrared heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectroscopy in flame measurements;
L. Ma, Z. Wang, K.-P. Cheong, H. Ning, W. Ren, Pro. of the Comb. Inst. Vol. 37, Issue 2, 2019, pp. 1329 - 1336.
# 113 Non-uniform temperature and species concentration measurements in a laminar flame using multi-band infrared absorption spectroscopy;
L. Ma, L. Y. Lau, W. Ren, Appl. Phys. B, 2017,123: 83.
#116 A portable low-power QEPAS-based CO2 isotope sensor using a fiber-coupled interband cascade laser;
Z. Wanga, Q. Wanga, J. Y.-L. Chingb, J. C.-Y. Wub, G. Zhangc, W. Rena,∗Sensors and Actuators, B 246, 2017, pp. 710–715.
#118 The driver design for N2O gas detection system based on tunable interband cascade laser;
L. Liao, J. Zhang, D. Dong, E3S Web Conf., Vol. 78, 2019, 03002.
#122 A comparative laser absorption and gas chromatography study of low-temperature n-heptane oxidation intermediates;
A. M. Ferris, J. W. Streicher, A. J. Susa, D. F. Davidson, R. K. Hanson, Proc. of the Comb. Inst. Vol. 37, Iss. 1, 2019, pp. 249-257.
#128 Narrow linewidth characteristics of interband cascade lasers;
Y. Deng , B.-B. Zhao, X.-G. Wang, C. Wang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 116, 201101, 2020.
#132 Unveiling quantum-limited operation of interband cascade lasers;
S. Borri , M. Siciliani de Cumis , S. Viciani , F. D’Amato, P. De Natale, APL Phot., Vol. 5, Iss. 3, 036101, 2020.
#133 Light and microwaves in laser frequency combs: an interplay of spatio-temporal phenomena,
M. Piccardo, D. Kazakov, B. Schwarz, P. Chevalier, A. Amirzhan, Y. Wang, F. Xie, K. Lascola, S. Becker, L. Hildebrandt, R. Weih, A. Belyanin, F. Capasso, 2019 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), San Jose, CA, USA, 2019, pp. 1-2.
#134 Midinfrared sensor system based on tunable laser absorption spectroscopy for dissolved carbon dioxide analysis in the south china sea: system-level integration and deployment;
Z. Liu, C. Zheng, T. Zhang, Y. Li, Q. Ren, C. Chen, W. Ye, Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, F. K. Tittel, Anal. Chem., Vol. 92, Iss. 12, 2020, pp. 8178 − 8185.
#138 Line mixing and broadening of carbon dioxide by argon in the v3 bandhead near 4.2 μm at high temperatures and high pressures;
D. D. Lee, F. A. Bendana, A. P. Nair, D. I. Pineda , R. M. Spearrin, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer, No. 253, 2020, 107135.
Further Links
Material Growth ICLs: University of Wuerzburg, Technical Physics, Work Group Optoelectronic Materials and Devices I
Licence ICL Production: Naval Research Laboratory
Video
nanoplus ICL introduction: Introduction into nanoplus DFB Interband Cascade Lasers for Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy
The nanoplus DFB ICL opens tunable laser absorption spectroscopy (TLAS) for novel MIR applications in industrial gas sensing.
In the 3 μm to 6 μm wavelength window, now covered by interband cascade lasers, many industrially relevant trace gases have their strongest absorption bands. They show absorption strengths that are several orders of magnitude higher than those in other infrared (IR) areas. This concerns prevalent molecules such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitric oxide (NO) or water (H2O). Most hydrocarbons, e. g. methane, equally locate their topmost absorbing features at these ICL wavelengths.
Using the strongest absorption band of the detected trace gas contributes to
- accelerate the sensing speed
- reduce the noise and
- miniaturize the sensor.
nanoplus ICLs are considered for various progressive applications in industry and research. In the oil and gas sector, they enable accurate process control and support higher energy efficiency and pollutant reduction.
Compared to other sensing techniques, such as gas chromatography, TLAS-based sensors offer the unmatched advantage of real-time analysis.
nanoplus DFB ICL technology outperforms other MIR laser technologies
Different laser technologies have been investigated in recent years to access the 3 μm to 6 μm wavelength range. Besides interband cascade lasers, GaSb-based type I interband diodes and intersubband quantum cascade lasers (QCL) have been a major focus of research.
While GaSb-based type I interband diodes have the disadvantage of decreasing hole confinement and increasing Auger recombination, fast phonon scattering loss impairs the use of intersubband QCLs.
An interband cascade laser, in contrast, uses optical transitions between an electron state in the conduction band and a hole state in the valence band in a cascade of Sb-based type-II QW structures. A broken-gap band edge alignment enables the tailoring of the emission wavelength by altering the cascade structures.
Interband-cascade technology is ideal for high-performance lasing in the entire range from 3 μm to
6 μm due to relatively wavelength-independent threshold powers. It combines high performance with reasonably low power consumption. Like all nanoplus lasers, these devices are manufactured without epitaxial overgrowth, avoiding impairment of ICL performance due to the insertion of patterning-induced defects within the laser layers.
Prism Award Winners 2012
nanoplus DFB interband cascade lasers (ICLs) won the “Prism Award for Green Photonics and Sustainable Energy” in 2012. They cover the entire wavelength range from 3000 nm to 6000 nm. Many prominent gas species have their strongest absorption features in this window. They are now accessible for tunable diode laser spectroscopy in industry and research. SPIE and Photonics Media honored the laser development in a ceremony during Photonics West in San Francisco.
nanoplus DFB interband cascade laser facilitates new TDLAS applications in mid-infrared
nanoplus offers a DFB interband cascade laser (ICL) at any target wavelength in the mid-infrared (MIR) between 3 μm and 6 μm. The device operates in continuous wave (cw) mode around room temperature. Specifications and behavior are very comparable to a nanoplus laser at lower wavelengths. When you set up an ICL-based analyzer, you can, hence, transfer the engineering knowledge you have gained from building short-wavelength gas sensors.
Discuss your project with us
nanoplus is the only laser manufacturer offering DFB interband cascade lasers in the total range from 3 μm to 6 μm. We do the complete processing in house and may adapt our processes to your specifications. Contact us now to discuss your project.