Characterization and control of tunable quantum cascade laser beam parameters for stand-off spectroscopy

Infrared active stand-off detection techniques often employ high power tunable quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) for target illumination. Due to the distances involved, any fluctuation of the laser beam direction and/or beam profile is amplified at the sample position. If not accounted for, this leads to diminished performance (both sensitivity and selectivity) of the detection technique as a direct result of uncertainties in laser irradiance at each imaged pixel of the sample. This is especially true for detection approaches which illuminate a relatively small footprint at the target since the laser beam profile spatial fluctuations are often comparable to the (focused) laser spot size. Also, there is often a necessary trade-off between high output QCL power and beam quality. Therefore, precise characterization of the laser beam profile and direction as a function of laser properties (tuning wavelength, current and operating mode: pulsed or CW) is imperative. We present detailed measurements of beam profiles, beam wander and power fluctuations and their reproducibility as function of laser wavelength and stand-off distance for a commercially available tunable quantum cascade laser. We present strategies for improving beam quality by compensating for fluctuations using a motorized mirror and a pair of motorized lenses. We also investigate QCL mode hops and how they affect laser beam properties at the sample. Detailed mode-hop stability maps were measured.