Development of compact laser sources operating in the mid-infrared spectral region for remote gas sensing systems
This project is part of the Université Laval / Université Côte-d'Azur research partnership.
Principal investigators
Martin Bernier, Bernard Dussardier
Collaborator
Abstract
Development of compact laser sources operating in the mid-infrared spectral region, particularly in the 3-5 microns band, is paramount to enable the development of efficient and robust remote gas sensing systems to probe atmospheric pollutants in the harsh environment of the Canadian North. Many greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide have their fingerprint in this spectral region, making its remote sensing very sensitive and efficient. The sub-project 2.6 (BOND) of the Sentinel North strategy aims precisely to develop light-based sensing technologies to monitor climate active gases in arctic. The mid-infrared laser sources under development at COPL (Laval University) that are envisaged to equip such sensing systems are lacking from integrated fiber components thus significantly reducing their robustness.
The short-pulsed laser systems under development at COPL operating in the vicinity of 3 microns are based on a gain modulation method that requires a free-space coupling of the laser signal in the cavity which reduces significantly the system’s robustness against mechanical and thermal instabilities. The group of Dr. Dussardier at Nice Physics Institute (INPHYNI) are world-recognised experts on the development of passive all-fiber gain modulators based on rare-earth’s and transition metal’s doped fibers. The proposed project therefore target the development of all-fiber components to modulate the gain of pulsed laser sources operating in the mid-infrared to improve the robustness of the laser sources to enable their deployment in the Canadian North through the Sentinel North strategy.