External cavity quantum cascade laser for quartz tuning fork photoacoustic spectroscopy of broad absorption features

We demonstrate mid-infrared spectroscopy of large molecules with broad absorption features using a tunable external cavity quantum cascade laser. Absorption spectra for two different Freons are measured over the range 1130-1185 cm(-1) with 0.2 cm(-1) resolution via laser photoacoustic spectroscopy with quartz tuning forks as acoustic transducers. The measured spectra are in excellent agreement with published reference absorption spectra. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.