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Broadband Terahertz Gas Spectroscopy Through Multimode Self-Mixing in a Quantum Cascade Laser

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Terahertz (THz), Mid Infrared (MIR) and Near Infrared (NIR) Technologies for Protection of Critical Infrastructures Against Explosives and CBRN

Abstract

We present a self-mixing terahertz-frequency gas spectroscopy technique using a multimode quantum cascade laser. A precision-micro-machined external waveguide module and a double-metal quantum cascade laser device are used to increase the optical feedback and the laser’s frequency tuning range. Methanol spectra are measured using two laser modes at 3.362 THz and 3.428 THz simultaneously, with more than 8 absorption peaks resolved over a 17-GHz bandwidth, which provides minimum detectable absorption coefficients of 2.7 × 10−4 cm−1 and 4.9 × 10−4 cm−1, respectively. In contrast to all previous self-mixing spectroscopy, our multimode technique expands the sensing bandwidth significantly. This broadband spectroscopy technique can potentially be used for the identification and analysis of chemical, biological radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents and explosives.

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Acknowledgments

The data associated with this paper are openly available from the University of Leeds data repository. https://doi.org/10.5518/436.

Funding

UK Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (RP10G0435A03); European Space Agency (GSTP 4000114487/15/NL/AF); Royal Society (WM150029); Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (EP/J017671/1, EP/P021859/1); European Research Council (ERC) (THEMIS 727541).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Y. J. Han, J. Partington, R. Chhantyal-Pun, L. H. Li, J. Keeley, R. Dong, P. Dean, A. G. Davies, E. H. Linfield & A. Valavanis

  2. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, STFC, Oxford, Didcot, UK

    M. Henry, O. Auriacombe, T. Rawlings, M. Oldfield, N. Brewster & B. N. Ellison

Authors
  1. Y. J. Han
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  2. J. Partington
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  3. R. Chhantyal-Pun
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  4. M. Henry
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  5. O. Auriacombe
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  6. T. Rawlings
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  7. L. H. Li
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  8. J. Keeley
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  9. M. Oldfield
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  10. N. Brewster
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  11. R. Dong
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  12. P. Dean
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  13. A. G. Davies
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  14. B. N. Ellison
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  15. E. H. Linfield
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  16. A. Valavanis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Y. J. Han .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Mauro Fernandes Pereira

  2. Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic

    Apostolos Apostolakis

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Han, Y.J. et al. (2021). Broadband Terahertz Gas Spectroscopy Through Multimode Self-Mixing in a Quantum Cascade Laser. In: Pereira, M.F., Apostolakis, A. (eds) Terahertz (THz), Mid Infrared (MIR) and Near Infrared (NIR) Technologies for Protection of Critical Infrastructures Against Explosives and CBRN. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series B: Physics and Biophysics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2082-1_3

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