METHANE SENSING WITH A NOVEL MICROMACHINED SINGLE-FREQUENCY FABRY-PEROT LASER-DIODE EMITTING AT 1331 NM

Spectroscopic-based gas sensing is demonstrated using micromachined si ngle-frequency Fabry-Perot (PP) laser diodes emitting at 1.331 mu m wi th a side mode suppression ratio of greater than 24 dB over a signific ant emission wavelength tuning range. The utility of these novel mode controlled FP lasers for spectroscopic detection of gases is assessed by investigating the methane-absorption band in the 1.33 mu m region. By probing the narrow linewidth R2 rotational absorption line, we demo nstrate a low gas detection limit of 28 ppm . m and confirm the suitab ility of micromachined lasers in such applications.