Title :
Low loss AlN (aluminum nitride) waveguide and AlN (aluminum nitride) waveguide CO/sub 2/ laser
Author :
Matsushima, T. ; Kawanabe, J. ; Saimi, S. ; Cho, Y.
Author_Institution :
Quantum Phase Lab., Kobe, Japan
Abstract :
A hollow dielectric waveguide using AlN (aluminum nitride) is tested to build a compact CO/sub 2/ laser that is expected to be used for ultra-high sensitivity/resolution measurement of carbon dioxide concentration in atmospheric air. The attenuation constant of an AlN waveguide having a 2/spl times/2 mm bore is estimated to be as low as 0.017 dB/m. Small bore AlN waveguide CO/sub 2/ lasers have been built and can be operated at a high gas pressure of 60 to 200 torr by DC- or RF-discharge excitation and deliver an output power of around 3 watts from an active volume as small as 2/spl times/2/spl times/70 mm/sup 3/. This verifies that AlN is a low-loss superior material, in the infrared region, to be used as a waveguide laser/absorption cell in which the discharging gas pressure can be kept high.
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; air pollution measurement; aluminium compounds; atmospheric measuring apparatus; carbon compounds; chemical variables measurement; gas lasers; gas sensors; waveguide lasers; wide band gap semiconductors; 10 micron; 2 mm; 3 W; 60 to 200 torr; 70 mm; AlN; AlN low loss waveguides; CO/sub 2/; DC/RF-discharge excitation; IR low loss materials; absorption cells; active volume size; atmospheric CO/sub 2/ concentration measurement; compact AlN waveguide CO/sub 2/ lasers; discharging gas pressure; greenhouse effect; high gas pressure operation; hollow dielectric waveguides; output power; small bore waveguide lasers; ultra-high sensitivity/resolution carbon dioxide concentration measurement; waveguide attenuation constant; waveguide bore; Aluminum nitride; Atmospheric measurements; Atmospheric waves; Boring; Carbon dioxide; Dielectric measurements; Gas lasers; Hollow waveguides; Testing; Waveguide lasers;
Conference_Titel :
Infrared and Millimeter Waves, 2002. Conference Digest. Twenty Seventh International Conference on
Conference_Location :
San Diego, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7423-1
DOI :
10.1109/ICIMW.2002.1076210
