Swept-Wavelength External Cavity Quantum Cascade Laser (IMAGE)

American Institute of Physics

Swept-Wavelength External Cavity Quantum Cascade Laser

Caption

An explosion is a complex event involving quickly changing temperatures, pressures and chemical concentrations. A special type of infrared laser, known as a swept-wavelength external cavity quantum cascade laser, can be used to study explosions. This versatile instrument has a broad wavelength tuning range that allows the measurement of multiple chemical substances in an explosive fireball. The ability to measure and monitor the dramatic changes during explosions could help scientists understand and even control them. This image shows how a swept-wavelength external cavity quantum cascade laser measures rapid changes in infrared light absorbed by molecules inside an explosive detonation.

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Mark C. Phillips

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