Lead-salt (PbS/PbSe) laser diodes have been spectroscopist's 'microscope' by allowing probing of molecules using spectrally very narrow linewidth infrared light from 3333 to 400wavenumbers (3-25um)
A range of devices manufactured and supplied by Laser Components exist that offer single mode and multimode emission, considerable tuning ranges, and 0.1cm-1 mode lengths.
Such tools permit greater understanding of molecules, how they interact, and how they combine, so that new chemicals and drugs can be created.
Such light can be used to probe the formation of plasmas helping to better understand the primordial soup of creation.
Similarly, IR spectroscopy using such lasers allows scientists to research ionic transfer between molecules of unstable compounds, which otherwise would not be possible.
IR tuneable diode lasers are the spectroscopist's tool whether researching the early stages of the universe, understanding the formation of organic compounds that started life, or designing and creating ground breaking new drugs and compounds.
