Compact external cavity diode laser for industrial analysis

Fabry-Perot (FP) laser diodes are generally compact, reliable and low cost laser sources for a wide range of scientific and technical applications [1] . However, emission characteristics of FP laser diodes are often far from i deal, especially tuning range and sidemodesuppression are often to small, a nd thus many applications are limited to the use of relatively expensive di stributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes with their - as competed with externa l cavity diode laser - low tuning range and low power. External cavity diod e laser, in which antireflection coated FP-laser diodes are utilized, can p rovide an alternative with a high tuning range, small linewidth and high po wer.