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At least 739 records · Page 41

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NASA NTRS1983

Ohmic contacts for laser diodes

Requirements for ohmic contacts to laser diodes are discussed, and properties of Schottky barrier tunneling contacts are reviewed. A procedure is described for measuring contact resistance on fabricated laser material without the need for specially constructed samples and contact configurations. Measurements of contact resistance and estimates of specific contact resistance are given for Ti/Pt/Au contacts to surfaces with three different doping levels. It was found that below a p-type carrier concentration of 1 x 10 to the 19th per cu cm the contact resistance is likely to be too high for good device performance. At higher doping levels, a specific contact resistance as low as 2 x 10 to the -6th ohm sq cm was obtained. Oxide stripe lasers provided with the type of contact discussed in this paper have been operated without failures for periods up to 7 years at a current density at the contact of 6-8 kA/sq cm. It appears therefore that these contacts satisfy the need for low resistance and durability and that, at the same time, they do not cause any obvious material degradation.

Ladany, I.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Laboratory simulation of tunable diode laser remote measurement of atmospheric gases using topographic targets

In order to test the possibility that tunable diode laser (TDL) systems using topographic targets can be applied to the measurement of a variety of gases at concentrations and distances characteristic of industrial gas leaks, a single-ended TDL system was assembled for use with selected topographic targets to detect NO2 at atmospheric pressure and NO2 and NH3 at low pressures. In both cases, the intensity distribution of radiation backscattered from selected targets was found to be heavily weighted to a specular rather than a Lambertian distribution. A sensitivity of 5 ppm-m has been demonstrated for the case of NO2.

Webster, C. R.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Line strength measurements using diode lasers - The nu2 band of H2S

The strengths of 94 lines in the nu2 band of H2S have been measured with an average accuracy of 3 percent using a tunable diode laser. The line strengths are determined from the peak absorption of nearly Doppler-shaped lines. A detailed error analysis of this measurement method is given. Ratios of the measured line strengths to strengths calculated assuming no vibration-rotation interactions are shown to range from as low as 0.057 to as high as 4.71.

Strow, L. L.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Reliability of constricted double-heterojunction AlGaAs diode lasers

Constricted double-heterojunction diode lasers have been life tested at 70 C heatsink temperature and 3-4 mW/facet in CW operation. A median life of 7800 h is obtained at 70 C, which extrapolates to 400,000 h median life at room temperature. The extrapolated mean time to failure at room temperature is in excess of 1,000,000 h. Single-longitudinal-mode CW operation is maintained after 10,000 h of accelerated aging at 70 C.

Botez, D.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Frequency-doubled CO2 lidar measurement and diode laser spectroscopy of atmospheric CO2

A lidar instrument based on pulsed frequency-doubled carbon-dioxide lasers has been used at 4.88 microns for remote sensing of atmospheric carbon dioxide. A tunable-diode laser spectrometer provided the high-resolution spectroscopic data on carbon-dioxide line strength and line broadening needed for an accurate differential absorption measurement. Initial field measurements are presented, and instrument improvements necessary for accurate carbon dioxide measurement are discussed.

Bufton, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Fundamental linewidth in solitary, ultranarrow output PbS(1-x)Se(x) diode lasers

The fundamental, quantum phase noise limited Lorentzian linewidth was directly measured from the beat-note spectra generated by heterodyning PbS(1-x)Se(x) diode lasers with a stable CO gas laser. The experimental results were matched by calculated theoretical line profiles. Linewidths as narrow as 22 kHz full width at half-maximum power were observed.

Freed, C.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Precise Control of a Tunable IR Diode Laser

Tuning system applicable to lead-salt semiconductor tunable diode laser (TDL) and other solid-state lasers with temperature and current dependent emission wavelength developed for balloon borne, highresolution spectrometer that measures trace atmospheric constituents in stratosphere. Instrument measures absorption at approximately 20 points in 100 MHz wide spectral line.

Menzies, R. T.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Development and fabrication of a high current, fast recovery power diode

A high voltage (VR = 1200 V), high current (IF = 150 A), fast recovery ( 700 ns) and low forward voltage drop ( 1.5 V) silicon rectifier was designed and the process developed for its fabrication. For maximum purity, uniformity and material characteristic stability, neutron transmutation n-type doped float zone silicon is used. The design features a hexagonal chip for maximum area utilization of space available in the DO-8 diode package, PIN diffused junction structure with deep diffused D(+) anode and a shallow high concentration n(+) cathode. With the high temperature glass passivated positive bevel mesa junction termination, the achieved blocking voltage is close to the theoretical limit of the starting material. Gold diffusion is used to control the lifetime and the resulting effect on switching speed and forward voltage tradeoff. For solder reflow assembly, trimetal (Al-Ti-Ni) contacts are used. The required major device electrical characteristics were achieved. Due to the tradeoff nature of forward voltage drop and reverse recovery time, a compromise was reached for these values.

Berman, A. H.↗

NASA NTRS1984

A preliminary analysis of a diode array for densitometry

A diode-array based image digitizer manufactured by the Eikonix Corp. was tested to see if it can be adapted to the exacting requirements of astronomical densitometry. As the device is presently configured, a dynamic range of 400:1 can be achieved routinely, with a positional accuracy of 2 microns or better. An area of 2048 X 2048 pixels can be scanned in about 5 minutes. Preliminary tests indicate that several relatively simple enhancements can improve both the photometric and the positional accuracy of the device.

Janes, K. A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Design and selection of bypass diodes

Topics concerning the design and use of bypass diodes are investigated. Energy output, service life, safety, cell mounting approach, thermal capability, and cost analysis are also considered.

Shepard, N. F., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Development of long wavelength semiconductor diode lasers near 28 microns for use in infrared heterodyne spectrometers

The development of tunable diode lasers operating in the 28 micrometers spectral region for use in infrared heterodyne spectrometers is reported. A process capable of yielding lasers emitting 500 micron W of multimode power, 112 micron W in a true single mode and true single mode operation at laser currents of up to 35% above threshold was developed. Results were obtained from narrow mesastripe (20 micrometer wide) short cavity (120 micrometer length) laser configurations. Six stripe geometry lasers, with a variety of cavity widths and lengths were delivered. The techniques to fabricate such devices was obtained and the long term reliability of such lasers by reproducible electrical and optical output characteristics fabrication from lasers are demonstrated.

Linden, K. J.↗

NASA NTRS1984

In situ measurement of stratospheric nitric oxide using a balloon-borne tunable diode laser spectrometer

The stratospheric mixing ratio of nitric oxide at an altitude of 36 km has been measured using a balloon-borne tunable diode laser (TDL) instrument operating in the 5.2-micron wavelength region. Currently the instrument operates with two TDLs, and the capability exists to measure four stratospheric species simultaneously: NO, NO2, O3, and H2O. During the NO measurements reported here, the second TDL operating near 6.2 microns was used to monitor water vapor concentration in the vicinity of the gondola by observing the 1889.57 per cm line absorption in the reference channel path length (1 m).

Webster, C. R.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Chirped arrays of diode lasers for supermode control

Nonuniform structures of phase-locked diode lasers, which make it possible to discriminate efficiently against all the higher order array supermodes (lateral modes) are proposed. In these nonuniform arrays, the effective mode index in each channel varies across the array. Consequently, the envelopes of the various supermodes, including the highest order one, differ significantly from each other. Thus, by proper tailoring of the gain distribution across the array, one can conveniently select the fundamental supermode. Such fundamental supermode oscillation is essential in order to obtain single lobe, diffraction limited beams and minimal spectal spread from phase-locked laser arrays.

Kapon, E.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Development of ion-implantation confined, shallow mesa stripe (Pn,Sn)Te/Pb(Te,Se) DH laser diodes

Preliminary results of a program to develop ion implantation confined, shallow mesa stripe (Pb,Sn)Te laser diodes are presented. The practicality of using a shallow mesa stripe to produce single mode laser output and to increase the single mode tuning range are demonstrated. The first results of p-type ion implantation in the lead-tin salts are also reported. It is shown that sodium and lithium both can be used to convert n-type Pb(Te,Se) to p-type. The implant and anneal procedures are described, and electrical characteristics of Li-implanted layers are presented.

Fonstad, C. G.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Airborne tunable diode laser system for trace gas measurements

Sachse et al. (1976) have reported the development of an airborne tunable diode laser (TDL) system, named the Differential Absorption CO Monitor (DACOM). The absorption path was 10 m long and located in the free airstream along the fuselage of a C-54 aircraft. The present investigation is concerned with a modification of the DACOM instrument. Differences between the new instrument and the original one are related to a replacement of the external absorption path with a White cell. The instrument has the capability to suppress TDL excess noise. The laser refrigerator has been redesigned to permit an alternative method of cooling the TDL when electric power is not available.

Sachse, G. W.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Stratospheric species measurements with tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

A balloon-borne instrument for stratospheric research has been developed with the capability to simultaneously measure several chemically related species in situ, for a full diurnal cycle. The instrument utilizes tunable infrared diode lasers (TDLs) to provide the radiation in selected wavelength regions for sensitive absorption spectroscopy over a one-km round-trip path. The TDL radiation is directed to a remote retroreflector which is lowered 500 m below the instrument gondola. A HeNe laser and co-aligned TV camera with CID imaging are used for retroreflector tracking. Currently the instrument operates with two TDLs, and the capability exists to measure four stratospheric species: NO, NO2, O3, and H2O. The number of operating TDLs can be expanded to four, resulting in the possibility of measuring several additional trace species.

Menzies, R. T.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Tunable diode laser optogalvanic spectroscopy of molecules

The laser optogalvanic (LOG) technique for studying molecular spectra has been extended for the first time to the infrared wavelength region. Portions of the NH3 nu-2 band at 9.5 microns and the NO2 nu-3 band at 6.2 microns have been recorded at Doppler-limited resolution using CW tunable diode lasers to probe dc electrical discharges in pure NH3 and an NO2/He gas mixture. Using adjustable electrode positions and an orthogonal geometry between the probe laser and the discharge axis, two contributions to the optogalvanic signal are identified: one which corresponds to an increase in discharge impedance and is seen only for irradiation of the negative glow region; and a second which corresponds to a decrease in discharge impedance and is seen for irradiation of all other discharge regions.

Webster, C. R.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Microwave Power Combiner With Switching Diodes

In multiple-port microwave power combiner, each of outputs of two or more power amplifiers of same frequency and phase passed to common output port separately or together. Each amplifier connected to combiner through switch consisting of resonant structures, radio-frequency chokes, and diode. Switches not only permit flexiblity in selection of amplifiers but isolate unused amplifiers from network, all while operating at relatively low power loss.

Conroy, B. L.↗