
Optical spectrum analyzer for fast, accurate mid-wave IR
Yokogawa Test & Measurement Corporation has released the AQ6377E optical spectrum analyzer for mid-wave infrared (MWIR) measurements.
While inheriting the world-class optical performance of the preceding AQ6377 model, the AQ6377E optical spectrum analyzer offers a number of new features and functions that enhance speed, accuracy, and capability, enabling it to meet a broader spread of laser application demands, including environmental measurement.
Launched in 2020, the current AQ6377 was developed in response to increasing demand from researchers and developers of MWIR lasers for an optical spectrum analyzer that can quickly and precisely analyze the wavelength spectrum of lasers, including their side modes, especially in the 5μm band. As the successor model to the AQ6377, the AQ6377E optical spectrum analyzer offers a number of new functions and specifications.
For instance, the AQ6377E offers improved performance of the built-in chopper*, which operates automatically according to the measurement sensitivity setting. Specifically, Yokogawa has added the NORMAL/CHOP and MID/CHOP measurement sensitivity settings, which apply the lock-in detection function to the intermediate NORMAL and MID sensitivities of the previous model. This capability reduces the impact of background noise when measuring MWIR light spectra and allows faster and more accurate measurement compared with the previous AQ6377.
The AQ6377E also offers much wider pulsed light measurement capabilities thanks to the addition of a new function, ‘advanced pulsed light measurement mode’. This enhancement provides engineers with improved ability to measure pulsed light with low-repetition frequencies that were previously impossible to achieve using the AQ6377.
In laser evaluation, simultaneous measurement over a wide level range was a clear performance advantage of the previous AQ6377. The new AQ6377E adds to this with a dynamic measurement range for the simultaneous measurement of a laser’s optical spectrum. This improvement ensures engineers can accurately evaluate the SMSR, an index of laser performance, which is difficult to achieve with an FT-OSA.
“We listen intently to the requests of our customers,” says Terry Marrinan, VP Sales & Marketing at Yokogawa Test & Measurement. “We received requests for faster measurement speeds, the ability to perform pulsed light measurements under various conditions, and a better way to evaluate side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) than is available using Fourier Transform optical spectrum analyzer (FT-OSA) instruments. The AQ6377E provides the answer to these issues.”
The AQ6377E optical spectrum analyzer is planned to meet the CE marking requirements by the end of January 2025.
https://tmi.yokogawa.com
www.yokogawa.com
