Spectroscopic techniques based on Distributed FeedBack (DFB) Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL) provide good results for gas detection in the mid-infrared region in terms of sensibility and selectivity. The main limitation is the QCL relatively low tuning range (~10 cm-1) that prevents from monitoring complex species with broad absorption spectra in the infrared region or performing multi-gas sensing. To obtain a wider tuning range, the first solution presented in this paper consists of the use of a DFB QCL array. Tuning ranges from 1335 to 1387 cm-1 and from 2190 to 2220 cm-1 have been demonstrated. A more common technique that will be presented in a second part is to implement a Fabry-Perot QCL chip in an external-cavity (EC) system so that the laser could be tuned on its whole gain curve. The use of an EC system also allows to perform Intra-Cavity Laser Absorption Spectroscopy, where the gas sample is placed within the laser resonator. Moreover, a technique only using the QCL compliance voltage technique can be used to retrieve the spectrum of the gas inside the cavity, thus no detector outside the cavity is needed. Finally, a specific scheme using an EC coherent QCL array can be developed. All these widely-tunable Quantum Cascade-based sources can be used to demonstrate the development of optical gas sensors.
Keywords: QCL array; compliance voltage technique; external-cavity systems; gas sensors; intra-cavity laser absorption spectroscopy; laser spectroscopy; mid-infrared laser sources; quantum cascade laser; widely tunable laser sources.