The Hedgehog Mid-IR Laser is the latest generation tunable laser head from DRS Daylight, perfect for OEM or laboratory applications. With its TEM00 beam quality, high power, small size, CW or pulsed output, and unparalleled spectral repeatability, the Hedgehog laser is a one-of-a-kind device based on well-proven External Cavity Quantum Cascade LaserTM technology.
High-SNR data acquired quickly is advantageous for applications using molecular spectroscopy. Wide-ranging mid-IR tuning is especially advantageous when exploring several molecules or an absorption feature with a large dynamic range.
The Hedgehog system's advantages are its low noise output, great spectral and spatial beam quality, and wide, fast tuning across the mid-IR spectrum. Accessing this performance is simple because of its sealed, alignment-free design, standard GUI, and SDK.
Choose between the following three basic Hedgehog models: Hedgehog (tunes up to 200 cm-1), Hedgehog-UT (tunes up to 400 cm-1), and Hedgehog-LT (tunes up to 30 cm-1).
Highlights
Features and Benefits
- Available wavelengths: 3–13 µm
- CW or pulsed output (up to 3 MHz/30% duty)
- Tune up to 400 cm-1 at speeds up to 5000 cm-1/s
- Superior wavelength repeatability for higher-accuracy spectroscopy
- Ultra-quiet CW: RIN as low as -140 dBc/Hz enables higher-SNR spectroscopy
- Superb TEM00 beam quality and low beam pointing allows fiber coupling
- SideKick™ controller, GUI, and SDK standard with all systems
- High output power for high SNR of >1 W (peak) and >0.5 W (average)
- Proprietary HFQD™ circuitry protects the chips
Applications
- Atmospheric research
- Standoff detection
- Process control
- Nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy
- Combustion diagnostics
- TIC, VOC, GHG chemical and biological agent detection
- Biomedical diagnostics
- Imaging
- Protein analysis
- Photoacoustic spectroscopy
Product Specifications
Source: DRS Daylight Solutions Inc.
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| Center Wavelength Availability |
< 4 μm > 13 μm |
| Modes of Operation |
Pulsed or CW2 |
| Tuning Modes |
Set λ, Step & Measure, Continuous Scans |
| Max. Tuning Speed (Step) |
250 ms step-and-settle time to arbitrary λ |
| Max. Tuning Speed (Scan) |
Slew rates to > 5,000 cm-1/s |
| Wavelength Accuracy |
≤ 1 cm-1 |
| Wavelength Repeatability |
To ≤ 0.1 cm-1 [5] |
| Average Power Stability |
< 2% (1 hr) |
| Spatial Mode |
TEM00 (nominal) |
| Beam Divergence |
< 4 mrad (full angle, 1/e2 intensity width) |
| Beam Pointing Stability |
< 1 mrad (beam centroid change) |
| Spot Size |
< 2.5 mm (1/e2 intensity radius) |
| Polarization |
Linear, vertical, > 100:1 |