Widely Tunable and High Power Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Lasers
Abstract
Single mode cw and pulsed distributed feedback (DFB) QC lasers with wide current tuning and high single mode power, have been realized at lambda app. = 4.6 nm; 5.2 nm , 8 nm and 9.5-10 nm and their trace gas sensing ability (parts per billion in volume or less) has been demonstrated by a variety of spectroscopic techniques. These devices, free-running and stabilized, had cw linewidths of 1 MHz and 10 KHz, respectively. Optical powers in excess of 0.5W (1W) at 300K (200K) was obtained in 75-stage structures; the cw operating temperature was increased to 175K using epitaxial-side heat sinking. New chirped superlattice active region designs yielded greater optical power per stage and allowed extension of the operating wavelength to 19 nm. These longwavelength QCLs use metal semiconductor waveguides supporting a surface plasmon mode, which allows greater optical confinement, and hence lower thresholds than conventional semiconductor waveguides of nearly double thickness. A QCL lasing simultaneously at two or more widely spaced wavelengths and a bidirectional QCL emitting different wavelengths for opposite bias polanty were demonstrated. Gain switching and active modelocking of QC lasers at 5 and 8 nm gave pulse widths of 90 ps and a few ps, respectively.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 17, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA387054
Entities
People
- Alessandro Tredicucci
- Claire Gmachl
- Federico Capasso
- Roberto Paiella
- Rudiger Koehler