12 December 2016

Alpes Lasers supplying QCLs for US Air Force's SILMARILS program

Alpes Lasers SA of St-Blaise, Switzerland has been selected as a developer and supplier of broadband quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) by several chemical sensing companies working on the program 'Standoff Illuminator for Measuring Absorbance and Reflectance Infrared Light Signatures' (SILMARILS).

The SILMARILS program is part of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) and is managed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Under this project Alpes Lasers will develop new classes of QCLs providing high spectral power density and pulse energy in the fingerprint region of the mid-infrared spectrum, which allows specific identification of a large class of organic and non-organic chemicals such as chemical weapons, explosives, narcotics or biological agents. The lasers will be integrated within portable systems by the prime contractors selected by IARPA.

"These contracts leverage Alpes' know-how as a worldwide leader in broad-gain and high-power QCLs to develop new products," says Alpes Lasers' CEO Dr Antoine Müller. "The laser chips developed have the potential to be integrated into devices that will facilitate safety screenings in airports and can be used by law enforcement agencies worldwide."

Phase 1 of the development is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Tags: QCL

Visit: www.alpeslasers.ch