Stefan Hugger

Imaging standoff detection of explosives using widely tunable midinfrared quantum cascade lasers

The use of a tunable midinfrared external cavity quantum cascade laser for the standoff detection of explosives at medium distances between 2 and 5 m is presented. For the collection of the diffusely backscattered light, a high-performance infrared imager was used. Illumination and wavelength tuning of the laser source was synchronized with the image acquisition, establishing a hyperspectral data cube. Sampling of the backscattered radiation from the test samples was performed in a noncooperative geometry at angles of incidence far away from specular reflection. We show sensitive detection of traces of trinitrotoluene and pentaerythritol tetranitrate on real-world materials, such as standard car paint, polyacrylics from backpacks, and jeans fabric. Concentrations corresponding to fingerprints were detected, while concepts for false alarm suppression due to cross-contaminations were presented.

onHigh-peak-power strain-compensated GaInAs/AlInAs quantum cascade lasers (λ∼4.6 μm) based on a slightly diagonal active region design

Employing a “slightly diagonal” active region design for the quantum cascade lasers compared to a reference sample based on the conventional vertical transition design [R. Kohler et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 1092 (2000)], we have improved the maximum operation temperature, room-temperature maximum peak power per facet, and room-temperature slope efficiency from 320 K, 200 mW, and 570 mW/A to higher than 360 K, 3.2 W, and 2200 mW/A, respectively, for the device size of 16 μm×3 mm with as-cleaved facets operated in pulsed mode.

Broadband-tunable external-cavity quantum cascade lasers for the spectroscopic detection of hazardous substances

Broadband tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCL) have emerged as attractive light sources for midinfrared (MIR) “finger print” molecular spectroscopy for detection and identification of chemical compounds. Here we report on the use of EC-QCL for the spectroscopic detection of hazardous substances, using stand-off detection of explosives and sensing of hazardous substances in water as two prototypical examples. Our standoff-system allows the contactless identification of solid residues of various common explosives over distances of several meters. Furthermore, results on an EC-QCL-based setup for MIR absorption spectroscopy on liquids are presented, featuring a by a factor of ten larger single-pass optical path length of 100 μm as compared to conventional Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy instrumentations.

Stand-off explosive detection on surfaces using multispectral MIR-imaging

We present a system for the stand-off detection of solid explosive traces and precursors on surfaces. The system consists of a widely tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) and a thermal imaging camera. The external cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) illuminates the surface of a distant object at different characteristic wavelengths. In synchronisation with the camera a hyperspectral data cube of the backscattered radiation is generated allowing a multivariate analysis of the scene. We demonstrate how multidimensional image processing is used in order to fast and sensitively detect traces of hazardous substances such as trinitrotoluene (TNT) or pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). The recognition algorithm is developed to effectively suppress false alarms. Experiments are performed on real world like surfaces such as standard car paint, synthetic cloth or jeans fabric.

Widely tunable quantum cascade lasers for spectroscopic sensing

In this paper recent advances in broadband-tuneable mid-infrared (MIR) external-cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCL) technology are reported as well as their use in spectroscopic process analysis and imaging stand-off detection of hazardous substances, such as explosive and related precursors. First results are presented on rapid scan EC-QCL, employing a custom-made MOEMS scanning grating in Littrow-configuration as wavelength-selective optical feedback element. This way, a scanning rate of 1 kHz was achieved, which corresponds to 2000 full wavelength scans per second. Furthermore, exemplary case studies of EC-QCL based MIR spectroscopy will be presented. These include timeresolved analysis of catalytic reactions in chemical process control, as well as imaging backscattering spectroscopy for the detection of residues of explosives and related precursors in a relevant environment.

Standoff detection of explosives with broad band tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers

We present standoff detection of various explosives by backscattering spectroscopy, using a sensing system based on mid-IR external-cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCL) with a broad tunable range of about 300 cm-1. Traces of TNT (trinitrotoluene), PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) and RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) as well as different nonhazardous substances were investigated by illuminating them with the EC-QC laser and collecting the diffusely backscattered light. Tuning the EC-QCL across the characteristic absorption spectra enables us to detect and identify the explosives against a background of non-hazardous materials.

Imaging stand-off detection of explosives using tunable MIR quantum cascade lasers

Results on the detection of traces of trinitrotoluene (TNT) on different substrate-materials like Aluminum and standard car paint are presented. We investigated different samples with a movable imaging standoff detection system at angles of incidence far away from specular reflection. The samples were illuminated with a tunable mid-infrared external-cavity quantum cascade laser. For collection of the diffusely backscattered light a highperformance infrared imager was used. Trace concentrations of TNT corresponding to fingerprints on realworld- substrates were detected, while false alarms of cross-contaminations were successfully suppressed.

Power scaling of quantum cascade lasers via multiemitter beam combining

Different approaches to power scaling of 4.5- to 5-µm emitting quantum cascade (QC) lasers by multiemitter beam combining are investigated. Spectral beam combining of linear arrays of QC lasers consisting of several individual emitters located side by side is demonstrated as a first variant, using an external cavity equipped with a diffraction grating and a partially transmitting output mirror providing wavelength-selective feedback to each emitter. In this way, spectral beam combining of up to eight individual QC lasers is achieved with an optical coupling efficiency of 60% for an array of six emitters. The resulting beam quality (M2 < 2 for both fast and slow axes) is close to that observed for single emitters. As a second approach, a linear array of QC lasers is coupled to a custom-made array of silicon microlenses positioned in front of the output facets of the QC lasers. This technique produces a set of closely spaced parallel output beams, strongly overlapping in the far field, without introducing any coupling losses. The resulting beam divergence is given by the aperture size of the microlenses, which is limited by the center-to-center spacing of the QC lasers (500 µm in our case).

Infrared hyperspectral standoff detection of explosives

In this work we demonstrate imaging standoff detection of solid traces of explosives using infrared laser backscattering spectroscopy. Our system relies on active laser illumination in the 7 μm-10 μm spectral range at fully eye-safe power levels. This spectral region comprises many characteristic absorption features of common explosives, and the atmospheric transmission is sufficiently high for stand-off detection. The key component of our system is an external cavity quantum cascade laser with a tuning range of 300 cm-1 that enables us to scan the illumination wavelength over several of the characteristic spectral features of a large number of different explosives using a single source. We employ advanced hyperspectral image analysis to obtain fully automated detection and identification of the target substances even on substrates that interfere with the fingerprint spectrum of the explosive to be detected due to their own wavelength-dependent scattering contributions to the measured backscattering spectrum. Only the pure target spectra of the explosives have to be provided to the detection routine that nevertheless accomplishes reliable background suppression without any a-priory-information about the substrate.

Spectral beam combining of quantum cascade lasers in an external cavity

In this contribution, we demonstrate that spectral beam combining in an external cavity (EC), a technique which has been applied previously to shorter wavelength diode laser bars [1], is also applicable to mid-infrared QC lasers. Within this concept, the output of multiple emitters from a 4.6 μm emitting QC laser chip is combined in a single, collinear beam. The average power of an EC-QC laser module realized that way surpasses the output of a corresponding single emitter by more than a factor of 4. Furthermore, the EC-concept allows a certain degree of wavelength tuning during operation. The EC, consisting of a collimating lens, a grating and a partially reflecting outcoupling mirror, forces each laser to emit at a unique wavelength defined by its offset relative to the main optical axis. The EC approach further ensures the collinear directional and spatial overlap of the individual QC laser output beams forming a single combined output beam.