Aug 19, 2008 – Poway, CA (August 19, 2008) – Daylight Solutions, Inc., a manufacturer of advanced molecular detection and imaging solutions, today announced that it has established a new world record for a broadly tunable solid state mid-infrared laser source in a commercial product. The company integrated a Quantum Cascade semiconductor gain chip from ALPES lasers (Switzerland) into its own patented tunable external-cavity laser (EC-QCL) system. The result was a single frequency source that tuned across 275 wavenumbers, or 24% of the laser’s center wavelength at 8.8μm.
The availability of miniature, broadly tunable lasers in the 4μm to 12μm spectrum enables hand held sensors, which can be used in applications such as medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and explosives detection. The ability to tune across a wide spectral range means that more of a molecule’s “fingerprint” can be identified, allowing for greater accuracy and the ability to detect multiple species of molecules simultaneously.
“This is a significant step in the field of molecular detection and sensing” said Paul Larson, Daylight’s President and COO. “For example, this extreme tunability allows us to use a single, miniature laser source to scan across the entire spectrum of glucose, making non-invasive glucose monitoring that much closer to a commercial reality.”
“This achievement from Daylight Solutions greatly simplifies spectroscopic research in the midinfrared, and will lead directly to new and important applications in a variety of fields” said Rice University Professor Frank Tittel, one of the world’s leading experts in laser based mid-infrared spectroscopy.
Daylight Solutions will offer extreme tunability as part of its current line of broadly tunable and fixed wavelength laser products and sensor systems.
Daylight Solutions develops molecular detection and imaging systems for use in industrial process controls, scientific research, medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring and homeland security and defense applications. The company develops sensors and offers a line of broadly tunable and fixed wavelength mode-hop free mid-IR laser sources that can operate either pulsed or continuous wave. The company’s core technology enables small, battery powered devices that are extremely sensitive to the presence of trace amounts of molecules in real-world environments.
The statements contained in this article are not purely historical and contain forward-looking information and statements. These include statements regarding the Company’s expectations, intentions, or strategies regarding future matters. All forward-looking statements included in this article are based on information available to the Company on the date released.