High power quantum cascade lasers operating at ??87 and 130 �m (original) (raw)

Continuous wave operation of quantum cascade lasers based on vertical transitions at ��= 4.6 ��m

1996

Continuous wave operation of quantum cascade lasers is reported up to a temperature of 311 K. Fabry-Perot and DFB devices were fabricated as buried heterostructure lasers with high-reflection facet coatings. Junction-down mounted FPlasers emitted up to 17 mW and 3 mW of optical power per facet under continuous wave operation at 292 K and 311 K, respectively. The DFB-devices could be operated up to T=253 K on a thermoelectric cooler at an emission frequency of 1114 cm-1 with a side mode suppression rate better than 30 dB. Grating-coupled external cavity quantum cascade lasers based on a bound-to-continuum active region featuring a broad gain spectrum demonstrated frequency tuning of~10% from 1036 cm-1 to 1142 cm-1 with average output power between 0.15 and 0.85 mW under pulsed operation at room temperature.

Quantum cascade laser with bound-to-quasi-continuum optical transitions at a temperature of up to 371 K

Quantum Electronics, 2020

Based on a matched Ga0.47In0.53As/Al0.48In0.52As heteropair, we have developed a quantum cascade laser emitting at a wavelength of 7.4 μm. The chosen heterostructure with a relatively large number of quantum wells and barriers represents two mini-bands separated by a mini-gap with a localised doublet level near the upper mini-band, which provides a wide emission band (∼100 cm−1). In a pulse regime, the maximal laser operation temperature is 371 K. Such a high temperature is explained by two factors: a large energy of the transfer from the doublet to the upper mini-band and a large volt defect. The characteristic temperatures T 0 are found, which are equal to 170 K for low (less than 300 K) temperatures and 270 K for the range of 300 − 370 K. In addition, optical cavity losses are determined to be 2.5 and 7.7 cm−1 at temperatures of 80 and 254 K, respectively. The pulse power is 0.3 W at 80 K and 0.05 W at 293 K.

Current Status of High Performance Quantum Cascade Lasers at the Center for Quantum Devices

2007 IEEE 19th International Conference on Indium Phosphide & Related Materials, 2007

Mid-infrared laser sources are highly desired for laser-based trace chemical sensors, military countermeasures, free-space communications, as well as developing medical applications. While application development has been limited by the availability of adequate mid-infrared sources, InP-based Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) hold promise as inexpensive, miniature, portable solutions capable of producing high powers and operating at high temperatures with excellent beam quality and superior reliability. This paper discusses the most recent developments of application-ready high power (> 100 mW), continuous-wave (cw), mid-infrared QCLs operating above room temperature with lifetimes exceeding 13,000 hours.

High-performance quantum cascade lasers: physics and applications

Proceedings of SPIE 4651, 2002

Physics and applications of recent quantum cascade laser active region designs are discussed. Specifically, the use of bound-to-continuum and two-phonon resonance active regions for high temperature, high duty cycle operation is reviewed. Threshold current densities ...

High-Power Quantum Cascade Lasers Emitting at 8 μm: Technology and Analysis

Nanomaterials

In this work, we demonstrate the features of a two-stage epitaxial growth technique and show the results of power and efficiency measurements for three different designs of quantum cascade lasers with a record-high peak power in the 8 μm spectral region. The time-resolved QCL spectral study proves that InP-based upper cladding paired with an InP contact layer provides better heat dissipation and allows one to reach better power characteristics in comparison with InGaAs-based contact, even with short pulse pumping.

GaAs/AlGaAs (~9.4 μm) quantum cascade lasers operating at 260 K

Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences: Technical Sciences, 2000

The fabrication of Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) emitting at ∼9.4 µm is reported. The devices operated in pulsed mode at up to 260 K. The peak powers recorded in 77 K were over 1 W, and the slope efficiency η ≈ 0.5-0.6 W/A per uncoated facet. This has been achieved by the use of GaAs/Al0.45Ga0.55As heterostructure, with 3QW anticrossed-diagonal design originally proposed by Page et al. . Double plasmon planar confinement with Al-free waveguide has been used to minimize absorption losses. The double trench lasers were fabricated using standard processing technology, i.e., wet etching and Si3N4 for electrical insulation. The QCL structures have been grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), with Riber Compact 21T reactor. The stringent requirements -placed particularly on the epitaxial technology -and the influence of technological conditions on the device structure properties are presented and discussed in depth.

Recent advances in quantum cascade laser research and novel applications

Novel In-Plane Semiconductor Lasers II, 2003

Continuous wave (CW) operation of quantum cascade lasers is reported up to a temperature of 312 K. The junction down mounted devices were designed as buried heterostructure lasers with high-reflection coatings on both facets. This resulted in CW operation at an emission wavelength of 9.1 µm with an optical power ranging from 17 mW at 293 K to 3 mW at 312 K. A distributed feedback type device was fabricated and tested as well. It showed CW singlemode operation up to 260 K. These results demonstrate the potential of quantum cascade lasers as CW mid-infrared light sources for high-resolution spectroscopy and free space telecommunication systems.

Recent advances in continuous wave quantum cascade lasers

Proceedings of the 29th International Symposium on Compound Semiconductors, IOP vol. 174

Continuous wave (CW) operation of quantum cascade lasers is reported up to a temperature of 312 K. The junction down mounted devices were designed as buried heterostructure lasers with high-reflection coatings on both facets. This resulted in CW operation at an emission wavelength of 9.1 µm with an optical power ranging from 17 mW at 293 K to 3 mW at 312 K. A distributed feedback type device was fabricated and tested as well. It showed CW singlemode operation up to 260 K. These results demonstrate the potential of quantum cascade lasers as CW mid-infrared light sources for high-resolution spectroscopy and free space telecommunication systems.

Quantum cascade laser: A new optical source in the mid-infrared

Infrared Physics & Technology, 1995

A unipolar intersubband semiconductor laser operating above liquid nitrogen temperature at 4.26 lam wavelength is reported. The measured optical power in pulsed operation for a 1.2 mm long device is 22 mW at 10 K and 9 mW at 90 K. Strong line-narrowing above threshold and well resolved longitudinal modes are observed. This new light source, called quantum cascade laser, is based on sequential photon emission in a staircase/coupled quantum well AllnAs/GalnAs structure grown by molecular beam epitaxy. As the transitions arise between quantum confined states, its wavelength can be tailored in an extremely wide wavelength region while keeping the same heterostructure material.