Tunable quantum cascade laser for methane concentration measurement

D. A. Mikhailov^a, V. V. Dyudelev^a, D. V. Chistyakov^a, E. D. Cherotchenko^a, I. I. Vrubel'^a, V. Yu. Mylnikov^a, S. N. Losev^a, N. G. Deryagin^a, S. H. Abdulrazak^a, A. V. Babichev^a, A. V. Lyutetskiy^a, S. O. Slipchenko^a, N. A. Pikhtin^a, A. G. Gladyshev^b, K. A. Podgaetskii^c, A. Yu. Andreev^c, I. V. Yarotskaya^c, M. A. Ladugin^c, A. A. Marmalyuk^c, D. S. Papylev^d, I. I. Novikov^db, E. A. Kognovitskaya^ae, V. I. Kuchinskii^a, L. Ya. Karachinsky^bd, A. Yu. Egorov^b, G. S. Sokolovskii<sup>a

a</sup> Ioffe Institute, St. Petersburg
^b Connector Optics LLC, St. Petersburg
^c Polyus Research and Development Institute named after M. F. Stel'makh, Moscow
^d St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics
^e The D.I. Mendeleev All-Russian Institute for Metrology

Abstract: We report spectral studies of methane using a quantum cascade laser (QCL) with an external resonator in the Littrow configuration operating in 7550–7750 nm range. We demonstrate this setup to allow detection of methane concentrations as low as 165 ppm, which is over 250-fold below the lower explosive limit of methane concentration in the atmosphere. We also discuss the potential for increasing the sensitivity of methane detection scheme.

Keywords: quantum cascade laser, methane, gas analysis, infrared spectroscopy.

Received: 07.08.2025
Revised: 09.09.2025
Accepted: 11.09.2025

DOI: 10.61011/PJTF.2025.22.61588.20463

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