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Applied Optoelectronics (Nasdaq:AAOI), a provider of fiber-optic access network products for the cable broadband, internet data center, and fiber-to-the-home markets, today announced the availability of a revolutionary new laser for methane gas (CH4) sensing applications.
The new laser can be utilized in advanced high-precision and low-concentration measurements of methane gas in the atmosphere. Such measurements are increasingly important in industries including oil and gas, coal mining safety, chemical manufacturing, greenhouse gas monitoring, and pipeline monitoring.
The laser features a wavelength of 1653.7-nm, which is tuned to correspond to a peak in the near-infrared absorption spectrum of methane gas. By appropriately tuning the wavelength of the laser over this absorption peak, instrument manufacturers can sensitively and selectively detect the presence and concentration of methane gas, even in the presence of other chemical compounds.
Featuring internal temperature stabilization and optical output powers up to 12 milliwatts, these new lasers provide an ideal building block for instrument manufacturers seeking to build highly sensitive methane detectors. Since the lasers fall within the transmission spectrum of standard optical fibers, it is feasible to locate the laser and its associated electronics remotely from the environment being measured. This can improve safety and enable operation in environments unsuited for electronics (for example, high pressure or high temperature environments).
“Every day we see new applications for fiber-optic based sensor technologies,” commented David Chen, AOI’s Director of Product Management. “By offering laser devices that enable these new sensors, AOI is helping to expand the variety of applications for these sensors and improve the safety and efficiency of numerous industrial, scientific, and environmental monitors.”
