Search

The combination of speed and resolution is a fundamental figure of merit for Fourier transform spectroscopy. Here, we show that, by combining a fast rotational delay line with a strongly modulated quantum cascade laser (QCL), it is possible to perform broadband spectroscopy over a range of 175 cm−1, with a total effective integration time of about 6 s and a resolution of 0.03 cm−1. Remarkably, even though the resolution of the measurement is limited by the source, the interleaving technique can still be applied when the QCL is not in a frequency comb regime, considerably broadening the bandwidth of the instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we demonstrate that in a regime of strong modulation, by generating pulses of the length of the order of a few cavity lifetimes (hundreds of ps), a broadband quantum cascade laser can be driven to lase on a bandwidth (250 cm−1) limited by the gain. In addition, the amplitude noise of the radiation was shown to be limited by the detector. A laser linewidth study has been performed under different operating conditions, finding values spanning from 20 to 800 MHz, indicating a trade-off between emission bandwidth, amplitude stability, and coherence. The pulsed intensity of the output arises from the gain switching dynamics of the laser, while the self-seeded nature of the emission is responsible for the low amplitude noise and the relatively narrow linewidth of the individual spectral lines of the multimode emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In quantum cascade laser frequency combs, the intensity distribution of the optical spectrum can be split into two well-separated lobes of longitudinal modes that, even when far apart, have a common phase relation and preserve equal frequency separation. The temporal dynamics of two lasers emitting at 4.4 and 8.1 µm operating in this bilobed regime are here investigated. The laser intensity shows a peculiar temporal behavior associated with the spectral features whereby, every half a round-trip, the total emitted power switches from one lobe to the other, with a perfect temporal anti-correlation. The anti-correlation between the lobes is also observed in the intensity noise figure of the emission. This coherent phenomenon arises from gain nonlinearities induced by spatial hole burning and the extremely fast gain dynamics typical of quantum cascade lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyzes transport through metal organic chemical vapour deposition grown Iron doped Indium Phosphide (InP:Fe) for use as a current blocking layer in buried heterostructure Quantum Cascade Lasers. The nature of Iron incorporation in InP and electrical transport properties of InP:Fe is investigated via simulation and compared with measurement. Through simulations, we are able to predict the threshold for the onset of current rise in test structures due to avalanche injection of carriers. In addition, the benefit of InAlAs barriers inserted in InP:Fe layers is investigated and found to reduce the leakage current at lower biases while delaying the onset of avalanche. In buried heterostructure configuration, we have determined that non ideal regrowth profiles make the structure more susceptible to high field effects such as avalanche injection and trap filling that induce leakage currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report spectrally resolved gain measurements and simulations for quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) composed of multiple heterogeneous stacks designed for broadband emission in the mid-infrared. The measurement method is first demonstrated on a reference single active region QCL based on a double-phonon resonance design emitting at 7.8 lm. It is then extended to a three-stack active region based on bound-to-continuum designs with a broadband emission range from 7.5 to 10.5 lm. A tight agreement is found with simulations based on a density matrix model. The latter implements exhaustive microscopic scattering and dephasing sources with virtually no fitting parameters. The quantitative agreement is furthermore assessed by measuring gain coefficients obtained by studying the threshold current dependence with the cavity length. These results are particularly relevant to understand fundamental gain mechanisms in complex semiconductor heterostructure QCLs and to move towards efficient gain engineering. Finally, the method is extended to the measurement of the modal reflectivity of an anti-reflection coating deposited on the front facet of the broadband QCL. VC 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an antipodal Vivaldi antenna for broadband double metal waveguide terahertz quantum cascade lasers and frequency combs. Its exponentially curved flare profile results in an adiabatic in-plane mode expansion, producing an improved far-field with a single-lobed beam of (23 ° × 19 °) full width half maximum with an octave-spanning bandwidth. The antenna also acts as a wave retarder, rotating the polarization from vertical toward horizontal polarization by a frequency-dependent angle. The laser's emission spectrum and current–voltage characteristics are not affected, as well as frequency comb operation. Measurements agree well with numerical simulations, and the proposed antenna covers a broad spectral range (1.5–4.5 THz). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a terahertz quantum cascade laser operating on a thermoelectric cooler up to a record-high temperature of 210.5 K. The active region design is based on only two quantum wells and achieves high temperature operation thanks to a systematic optimization by means of a nonequilibrium Green's function model. Laser spectra were measured with a room temperature detector, making the whole setup cryogenic free. At low temperatures (∼40 K), a maximum output power of 200 mW was measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We design and fabricate large-area (1.1 mm × 1.1 mm) photonic crystal quantum cascade lasers, enabling single-mode (wavelength ∼ 8.5 µm) surface emission at room temperature, with a maximum peak power up to 176 mW. The beam divergence is <1∘ and with no side-lobes. Moreover, by introducing asymmetry into the photonic crystal pillar shape, a single-lobed far-field pattern is realized. The photonic band structure is measured with high spectral (0.72 cm−1) and angular (0.1°) resolution by using the photonic crystal quantum cascade laser itself as a detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gain recovery time of a heterogeneous active region terahertz quantum cascade laser is studied by terahertz-pump-terahertz-probe spectroscopy. The investigated active region, which is based on a bound-to-continuum optical transition with an optical phonon assisted extraction, exhibits a gain recovery time in the range of 34–50 ps dependent on the operation condition of the laser. The recovery time gets shorter for stronger pumping of the laser while the recovery dynamics slows down with increasing operation temperature. These results indicate the important role of the intracavity light intensity for the fast gain recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the characterization of a quantum cascade laser frequency comb with an optical power of 1.05W at λ~8.2 μm. A 4.5mm long device has a high reflectivity coating on the back facet as well as a top cladding designed to lower the group velocity dispersion and is operated at 258 K. Very strong (more than 60 dB) narrow beatnotes are shown, and frequency comb operation is obtained on a bandwidth of 85 cm-1 in a very large range of light-versus current characteristics. A bandwidth of 82 cm-1 has a power per mode of more than 1 mW and an average power per mode of 4.1 mW. Finally, a multi-heterodyne spectrum with 215 lines covering an optical bandwidth of more than 70 cm-1 measured with lasers showing similar performances is presented with very good line separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a double metal terahertz quantum cascade laser meant for astrophysical heterodyne measurements. The laser ridge is embedded in benzocyclobutene, and the device exhibits single mode, continuous wave operation around 4.745 THz with a peak power of almost 1.8 mW at 10K and a power consumption of≈1.6 W. Moreover, thanks to the integration of a top metal contact with a patch array antenna for light out-coupling the beam of the emitted light has a lowdivergence single-lobe profile and an FWHM of≈30°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an array of single-mode quantum cascade lasers operating in the range 8– 9.5~\mu \textm . The resonator features a pair of distributed Bragg reflectors for the mode selection, together with a second-order extraction grating. The radiation of these substrate emitting devices was combined in a single collector ridge. A proof of principle featured seven laser devices with a coverage of 170 cm ^-1 . The functionality of our approach is corroborated with a set of polarization and near-field measurements confirming the collection of multiple frequencies in a unique ridge. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We analyze the peculiar case where the free carrier absorption arising from LO phonon absorptionassisted transitions becomes negative and therefore turns into a gain source for quantum cascade lasers. Such an additional source of gain exists when the ratio between the electronic and the lattice temperatures is larger than one, a condition that is usually fulfilled in quantum cascade lasers. We find a gain of few cm-1's at 200 K. We report the development of a terahertz quantum cascade laser operating in the negative free carrier absorption regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual-comb spectroscopy is emerging as an appealing application of mid-infrared frequency combs for high-resolution molecular spectroscopy, as it leverages on the unique coherence properties of frequency combs. Here, we present an on-chip dual-comb source based on mid-infrared quantum cascade laserfrequency combs. Control of the combs repetition and offset frequencies is obtained by integrating micro-heaters next to each laser. We show that a full control of the dual-comb system is possible, by measuring a multi-heterodyne beating corresponding to an optical bandwidth of 32cm-1 centered at 1330cm-1 (7.52μm), demonstrating that this device represents a critical step towards compact dual-comb systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a surface emitting laser array design based on distributed Bragg reflectors together with a second order extractor, providing a deterministic mode selection mechanism. The technology is implemented as a buried heterostructure compatible with continuous-wave operation and low dissipation. A proof of principle featured 10 regularly spaced single mode devices with a coverage of 175 cm-1 in the 8-10 im wavelength range and milliwatt output powers with a far-field pattern full-width half-maximum of 8.3° in the longitudinal direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral gain of a multi-stack terahertz quantum cascade laser, composed of three active regions with emission frequencies centered at 2.3, 2.7, and 3.0 THz, is studied as a function of driving current and temperature using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The optical gain associated with the particular quantum cascade stacks clamps at different driving currents and saturates to different values. We attribute these observations to varying pumping efficiencies of the respective upper laser states and to frequency dependent optical losses. The multi-stack active region exhibits a spectral gain full width at half-maximum of 1.1 THz. Bandwidth and spectral position of the measured gain match with the broadband laser emission. As the laser action ceases with increasing operating temperature, the gain at the dominant lasing frequency of 2.65 THz degrades sharply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a sequentially operating dual-wavelength quantum cascade laser with electrically separated laser sections, emitting single-mode at 5.25 and 6.25 μ m. Based on a single waveguide ridge, this laser represents a considerable asset to optical sensing and trace gas spectroscopy, as it allows probing multiple gas species with spectrally distant absorption features using conventional optical setups without any beam combining optics. The laser capability was demonstrated in simultaneous NO and NO2 detection, reaching sub-ppb detection limits and selectivity comparable to conventional high-end spectroscopic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the operation of an 8.5 im quantum cascade laser based on GaInAs/AlInAs lattice matched to InP using three different simulation models based on density matrix (DM) and non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formulations. The latter advanced scheme serves as a valida-tion for the simpler DM schemes and, at the same time, provides additional insight, such as the temperatures of the sub-band carrier distributions. We find that for the particular quantum cascade laser studied here, the behavior is well described by simple quantum mechanical estimates based on Fermi's golden rule. As a consequence, the DM model, which includes second order currents, agrees well with the NEGF results. Both these simulations are in accordance with previously reported data and a second regrown device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our work presents a slot and a patch array antenna at the front facet of a 4.7 THz quantum cascade laser as extractor, decreasing the facet reflectivity down to 2.6%. The resulting output power increases by a factor 2 and the slope efficiency by a factor 4. The simulated and the measured far-fields are in good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One salient characteristic of Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) is its very short τ ~ 1 ps gain recovery time that so far thwarted the attempts to achieve self-mode locking of the device into a train of single pulses. We show theoretically that four wave mixing, combined with the short gain recovery time causes QCL to operate in the self-frequency-modulated regime characterized by a constant power in time domain and stable coherent comb in the frequency domain. Coherent frequency comb may enable many potential applications of QCL's in sensing and measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical laser emission frequency tuning of a three terminal THz quantum cascade laser is demonstrated. A high electron mobility transistor structure is used in a surface plasmon waveguide to modulate the electron density in a channel, controlling the effective refractive index of the waveguide. The threshold current density was modulated by 28% via applying voltage from –3 to 2 V. The observed laser emission frequency shift by electric field was 2 GHz. By using the three terminal devices, pure frequency modulation of the output light is, in principle, achievable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz intersubband electroluminescence from an InAs/AlSb quantum cascade structure based on a single quantum well active layer is studied. A sharp electroluminescence peak with a linewidth of 0.6 meV is observed at 4 THz. Low temperature magneto-transport measurements are also performed to investigate alignment of subbands in the active layer. The model taking account of a conduction band nonparabolicity reproduces well the subband energy in the InAs/AlSb THz quantum cascade structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We make use of a niobium film to produce a micrometric vacuum-bridge superconducting bolometer responding to THz frequency. The bolometer works anywhere in the temperature range 2-7 K, which can be easily reached in helium bath cryostats or closed-cycle cryocoolers. In this work the bolometer is mounted on a pulse tube refrigerator and operated to measure the equivalent noise power (NEP) and the response to fast (μs) terahertz pulses. The NEP above 100 Hz equals that measured in a liquid helium cryostat showing that potential drawbacks related to the use of a pulse tube refrigerator (like mechanical and thermal oscillations, electromagnetic interference, noise) are irrelevant. At low frequency, instead, the pulse tube expansion-compression cycles originate lines at 1 Hz and harmonics in the noise spectrum. The bolometer was illuminated with THz single pulses coming either from a Quantum Cascade Laser operating at liquid nitrogen temperature or from a frequency-multiplied electronic oscillator. The response of the bolometer to the single pulses show that the device can track signals with a rise time as fast as about 450 ns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have studied the frequency response to a direct current modulation of a mid-infrared quantum cascade laser that has been monolithically integrated within a microwave strip. By merging microwave and semiconductor laser technologies, we have demonstrated a flat frequency response up to ∼15 GHz for a device operating at 77 K and emitting at 9 μm. Laser performances are preserved and comparable to state of the art devices. Finally, in our devices, we have observed that the modulation bandwidth varies substantially upon the laser photon density. Improved frequency response is indeed achieved, while lasers operate well above threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the development of nanowire-based field-effect transistors operating as high sensitivity terahertz (THz) detectors. By feeding the 1.5 THz radiation field of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) at the gate-source electrodes with a wide band dipole antenna, we record a photovoltage signal corresponding to responsivity values >10 V/W, with impressive noise equivalent power levels <6 × 10-11 W/[Square_Root]Hz at room temperature and a wide modulation bandwidth. The potential scalability to even higher frequencies and the technological feasibility of realizing multi-pixel arrays coupled with QCL sources make the proposed technology highly competitive for a future generation of THz detection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum cascade lasers with large optical cavities that exhibit low waveguide losses, high saturation intensities, and low beam divergence, emitting between lambdaap4.3 and 5.2mum were studied. Peak-pulsed powers up to 14 W at 15 K and 5 W at 280 K at lambdaap5.2 mum are demonstrated. A full-width at half-maximum of only 30deg was measured for the transverse far-field pattern of the device operating at lambdaap4.3 mum, a significant reduction compared to conventional waveguides [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Optical and electrical characteristics of quantum cascade lasers, made in the GaAs-AlxGa1-xAs material system, show persistent changes at low temperatures, when devices are illuminated with an external white light. The magnitude of the effect is a function of the exposure time and finally saturates. The induced variation on the threshold current density of the lasers is more than 30%. This effect is related to the presence of deep donors (DX centers) in the high aluminum content AlGaAs cladding layers, which under illumination release electrons, thus increasing waveguide losses. By analyzing the light induced variations of the optical characteristics we were able to deduce the waveguide losses of our devices [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Terahertz quantum cascade lasers incorporating lattice-matched quaternary AlInGaAs barriers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on InP substrate are reported. Four quantum well active region devices exhibited lasing at 3.8 THz with threshold current densities as low as 74 A/cm2 at 10 K. From optical characterization and a doping study of the active region, an upper state lifetime of 8 ps, as well as a long transport time across the active region of 68 ps and a ratio of free carrier loss to gain cross sections of 4.6%, is reported. A maximum operating temperature of 130 K was achieved for a device with a conduction band discontinuity of 0.14 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a transport model based on the density matrix formalism, a fully automatized technique to design quantum cascade structures in the mid-infrared is presented that implements a genetic algorithm where the wallplug efficiency has been used as merit factor. Starting from a reference design, the model converges after few generations on an optimized design that presents a better carrier injection in the upper lasing state. Both the designs have been fabricated using buried heterostructure process and the optimized design shows a pronounced increase in the laser operation range and higher output powers. In good agreement with the simulations, the laser efficiency increases from 5% to 12%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]