Recent Results in Quantum Cascade Lasers and Applications

Abstract

Recent advances in quantum cascade (QC) lasers include widely tunable single-mode distributed feedback (DFB) lasers with high optical power at lamba approximately 4.6 micrometers. and single-mode DFB lasers at lamba approximately 16 micrometers based on new surface plasmons waveguides with dual-metal gratings. Single-mode and tunable QC-DFB lasers have successfully been used in many collaborations for various trace-gas sensing applications. Examples are the detection of stratospheric methane and nitrous oxide, the sub-ppbv detection of ammonia by cavity ring down spectroscopy, methane concentration and isotopic composition measurements. and the detection of complex molecules in open air by direct absorption spectroscopy. The versatility of band structure engineering enabled the design and realization of QC-lasers. which operate under both. positive and negative polarity displaying distinct characteristics in each polarity if an asymmetric structure is employed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 23, 2000
Accession Number
ADP013144

Entities

People

  • Albert L. Hutchinson
  • Alessandro Tredicucci
  • Claire Gmachi
  • Frederico Capasso
  • Ruedeger Koehler

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Band Structures
  • Detection
  • Dielectric Waveguides
  • Distributed Feedback Lasers
  • Energy Bands
  • Engineering
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Lasers
  • Light Sources
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Quantum Cascade Lasers
  • Quantum Wells
  • Semiconductors
  • Spectroscopy
  • Surface Plasmons
  • Trace Gases

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers
  • Quantum Computing
  • Space