Spectroscopy systems and methods using quantum cascade laser arrays with lenses

摘要

A spectroscopy system includes an array of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) that emits an array of non-coincident laser beams. A lens array coupled to the QCL array substantially collimates the laser beams, which propagate along parallel optical axes towards a sample. The beams remain substantially collimated over the lens array's working distance, but may diverge when propagating over longer distances. The collimated, parallel beams may be directed to/through the sample, which may be within a sample cell, flow cell, multipass spectroscopic absorption cell, or other suitable holder. Alternatively, the beams may be focused to a point on, near, or within the target using a telescope or other suitable optical element(s). When focused, however, the beams remain non-coincident; they simply intersect at the focal point. The target transmits, reflects, and/or scatters this incident light to a detector, which transduces the detected radiation into an electrical signal representative of the target's absorption or emission spectrum.

主权项

1. A system for sensing a spectroscopic signature of a sample, the system comprising:
an array of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) to emit an array of substantially parallel laser beams comprising lasers beams at different wavelengths; an array of collimating lenses, in optical communication with the array of QCLs, to substantially collimate the array of parallel laser beams; and a multipass absorption cell, in optical communication with the array of collimating lenses, to receive the array of parallel laser beams from the array of collimating lenses, to direct the array of parallel laser beams along multiple passes through a least a portion of the sample, and to emit the array of parallel laser beams after transmission through the at least a portion of the sample; and a detector, in optical communication with the multipass absorption cell, to detect at least a portion of the array of parallel laser beams so as to provide a signal representative of the spectroscopic signature of the sample.