April 18, 2016

Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) have exploded in popularity in recent years. Prices have come down to less than 20% of what they were just a few years ago. QCLs offer infrared energy at higher intensities for popular gas sensing applications. The QCL market segment is growing four times faster than the total laser market.

ISP Optics' core capabilities have greatly expanded to focus on QCL applications. ISP Optics can diamond turn aspheric lenses (including chalcogenide materials) down to only a few millimeters in diameter. "Our in-house coating capabilities allow us to coat for wavelength ranges targeted at QCL applications not readily available off-the shelf from other sources, such as 5-10 µm." said ISP Optics' president, Joseph Menaker. 

The ISP Optics online store’s (e-store) recently introduced QCL IR Optics category features lenses that are fast focusing and coated for broadband applications. The Xtra-Wide Wavelength lenses offer a consistently focused beam over a wide range of mid- & long-wave infrared spectrum with small spot sizes. The lenses are coated with ISP Optics’ broadband anti-reflection coatings for high transmission from 1-12 µm.

Since QCL sources are inherently polarized, ISP Optics invested in the development of polarization optics for the QCL wavelength range. ISP Optics launched a line of polarizing beamsplitters for the QCL market (nominal wavelength range is 4-11 µm) to offer improved performance over expensive dichroic optics and ineffective 50/50 beam combiners. These are in addition to their 1.5-5 µm, 3-5 µm, and 8-12 µm high contrast (10,000:1) polarizers. ISP Optics additionally has a line of waveplates from 3-9 µm for the QCL industry as well.


More information at:

http://www.ispoptics.com

ISP Optics Corporation is a vertically integrated manufacturer offering a full range of the infrared products from high performance LWIR Lens Assemblies to catalog and custom infrared optical elements.