18 Aug 2006 The QUANTA®-TERA is the first robust and manageable "work horse" in the field of THz worldwide. Unlike the germanium laser, this quantum cascade laser can do without a cooling machine. It generates THz radiation directly as opposed to by means of nonlinear optical effects or the THz generation based on femto-second lasers. With this technology a room temperature detector can receive signals with a frequency of 50 Hz.
But even the QUANTA®-TERA does not manage totally without cooling: The laser chip is located in the dewar and a filling with liquid nitrogen is enough for six hours. The test laser emitted between 3.5 and 4 THz, that is between 75 and 86 μm.
New: The quantum cascade laser brings the THz source to the object as opposed to the object being brought to the source, as used to be the case.
This article appeared in the OPTICS EXPRESS on March 6, 2006:
E. Bründermann, M. Havenith, G. Scalari, M. Giovannini, J. Faist, J. Kunsch, L. Mechold, and M. Abraham, "Turn-key compact high temperature terahertz quantum cascade lasers: imaging and room temperature detection," Opt. Express 14, 1829-1841 (2006), www.opticsinfobase.org
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