Makailee Henry ’27, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Makailee Henry ’27

Major

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Project Title

The Study of Mid-infrared Lasers

Presentation Link

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Optical spectroscopy, which measures how substances interact with light, has applications in environmental and chemical sensing, for example in the detection of pollutants. I worked to design and operate a setup to measure the light, current and voltage of quantum cascade lasers that were fabricated by the lab’s graduate students. To ensure the strongest readings, this process involved precisely aligning the lasing device with the lenses through which the beam of light travels as well as the detector. Moreover, various lab instruments had to be properly connected together for signals to be sent and received, and the sample had to be displayed on a lab device called an oscilloscope. Through this process, I determined which of the lasers were fabricated correctly and working as intended. After gathering these data manually, I also helped program an interface to automate the setup. These data will be used to characterize the working lasers’ spectrums, temporal performances and long-term properties, which will enable the devices to be used in optical spectroscopy in the future if needed. This research has prompted me to consider including an environmental angle in any future research I pursue, including for my senior thesis.