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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics

Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics

Published on: April 24, 2014

Low-noise high-performance current controllers for quantum cascade lasers.

Matthew S Taubman¹

¹Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, Washington 99354, USA. Matthew.Taubman@pnl.gov

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|July 5, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

New current controllers for quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) enable sensitive chemical sensing. These electronics provide stable, low-noise operation at high currents (2 A) and voltages (15 V) with fast modulation.

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Area of Science:

Optoelectronics
Chemical Sensing
Instrumentation

Background:

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) offer advanced capabilities for chemical sensing.
QCLs require higher current and voltage than laser diodes, necessitating improved drive electronics.
Maintaining low noise, stability, and agility is crucial for QCL-based sensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To address the challenge of providing high-performance drive electronics for QCLs.
To develop current controllers that meet the demanding specifications of QCLs.
To demonstrate the performance of novel current controllers for QCL applications.

Main Methods:

Development of novel current controller circuits.
Characterization of controller performance, including output current, compliance voltage, and noise levels.
Testing of current modulation capabilities at high frequencies.

Main Results:

Achieved output currents up to 2 A and compliance voltages of 15 V.
Demonstrated low noise levels, approaching the Johnson noise limit (few nA/√Hz).
Showcased rapid, full-depth current modulation up to 100 kHz.

Conclusions:

The developed current controllers effectively meet the high current and voltage demands of QCLs.
These controllers maintain low noise, stability, and agility essential for advanced chemical sensing.
The demonstrated performance enables new possibilities for QCL-based sensing technologies.