A broadly tunable THz nonlinear QCLs with enhanced conversion efficiency by employing a homogeneous active region is demonstrated. Using an external cavity configuration, the device has achieved tunability from 1.2 THz to 4.5 THz in the operating frequency range. The single dual-upper-state structure with wide gain bandwidth and a high nonlinear susceptibility χ2 enables to realize two-wavelength oscillations without stacking active regions and significantly improves the mid-infrared to THz conversion efficiency, resulting in superior performance over previously reported frequency tunable devices. The device has achieved a conversion efficiency of ~3 mW/W2 around 3.5 THz. In the presentation, spectroscopic measurements using this device will also be reported.
Quantum-cascade (QC) detectors are photovoltaic infrared detectors that exhibit low-noise characteristics dominated by the Johnson–Nyquist noise owing to the absence of fluctuations brought on by an external operation bias. When the Johnson–Nyquist noise level is low (at high device resistances), the flicker noise cannot be ignored in the lower-frequency region. However, the flicker noise seen in QC detectors has not been sufficiently discussed, and only the Johnson–Nyquist noise has been considered. In this study, we carried out flicker-noise analysis for mid-infrared QC detectors with a response wavelength of approximately 4.5 μm using experimental and theoretical approaches. The theoretical predictions, which were based on fluctuating charge-dipoles caused by electron trappings and de-trappings at impurity states, showed qualitative agreement with the measured temperature and device size dependencies of the flicker noise. Because doping of impurities into the absorption well is essential for detector operation, the results suggest that flicker noise is unavoidable in QC detectors. Therefore, to achieve the best low-noise performance of QC detectors, it is important to understand how flicker noise behaves in QC detectors using a theoretical model that considers the experimental results.
We present a tunable nonlinear QCL structure that uses an external-cavity lens-coupled Cherenkov waveguide, where a silicon lens is closely coupled to the device substrate to provide greatly enhanced THz coupling efficiency and considerable performance enhancements over existing devices. A source operating at room temperature outputs a peak power of 0.2 mW at 1.5 THz. Additionally, device tuning over an operating frequency range from 420 GHz up to 2 THz was demonstrated. The operating frequency of 420 GHz is the lowest reported operating frequency for room-temperature QCL sources.
We demonstrate terahertz imaging using a terahertz nonlinear quantum cascade laser source (THz NL-QCL). THz NL-QCLs are ultrabroad terahertz source which can be operated at room temperature. The maximum operating temperature of conventional THz-QCLs has been limited to 210.5 K so far. Therefore, THz NL-QCL sources are the only electrically pumped monolithic terahertz semiconductor sources operable at room temperature. Currently, various room temperature compact THz sources have been reported. However, the operation frequencies of these sources were basically below 1 THz. Although several devices demonstrate THz emission above 1THz, output powers are still quite low; thus, it is very difficult to apply to practical THz applications. THz NL-QCL sources are able to operate above 1 THz, and the average THz output powers have exceeded 10 μW (duty cycle >5%) at room temperature, which can potentially be applied to THz applications. Also, in edge-emitting metal-metal THz QCLs, ring-like fringe patterns in their far-field beams are frequently observed due to far-field interference of coherent radiation in deep sub -wavelength apertures. Otherwise, the beam profile of THz NLQCL is Gaussian-like far-field pattern. The beam quality of nonlinear quantum cascade laser is better than that of conventional terahertz quantum cascade laser. Therefore, THz NL-QCL sources are suitable for terahertz imaging. We demonstrated terahertz imaging with the THz NL-QCL sources.
Terahertz quantum cascade laser sources with intra-cavity difference frequency generation are currently the only electrically-pumped monolithic semiconductor light sources operating at room temperature in the 1-6 THz spectral range. These devices demonstrated drastic improvements in performance in the past several years and can produce broadband and narrow-linewidth single-mode terahertz emission with power output sufficient for spectroscopic applications. Recent efforts in the wavefunction engineering using an active region design based on a dual-upper-state concept led to a significant enhancement of the optical nonlinearity of the active region for efficient terahertz generation. Dual-upper-state terahertz quantum cascade laser sources exhibit the power of >0.3 mW. Here, we report low frequency generation from terahertz quantum cascade laser sources based on intra-cavity nonlinear frequency mixing. In order to achieve higher nonlinear susceptibility in low frequency region, we design a long wavelength dual-upper-state active region in which transition dipole moments are increased. A fabricated device with distributed feedback grating demonstrates a THz peak output power of 40 μW at room temperature, with multi-mode THz emission at a frequency of 1.4 THz. Besides, a device produces THz output power of >250 μW at 110 K, which is higher output power, compared to low- frequency THz-QCLs at liquid helium temperature.
Since the first demonstration of quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) in 1994, remarkable progress has been made from the mid-infrared (mid-IR) to terahertz (THz) spectral range. The 1–6 THz spectral range is very attractive for many applications, such as imaging, chem-/bio-sensing, heterodyne detection, and spectroscopy. However, this spectral range still lacks high-performance compact continuous-wave (CW) light sources operable at room temperature. Recently, THz sources based on intracavity difference-frequency generation (DFG) in dual-wavelength mid-IR QCLs have been demonstrated. These devices, known as THz DFG-QCLs, have their active region engineered to exhibit giant intersubband nonlinear susceptibility χ(2) for THz DFG. Recently, we developed THz DFG-QCLs containing an homogeneous active region with dual-upper states (DAU), which exhibit a THz output power of 301 μW with a high mid-IR-to-THz conversion efficiency of 1.2 mW/W2. The DAU active region approach provides a broadband gain bandwidth, and as a result, two wavelength emissions can be obtained without a heterogeneous cascade that has been used previously; this leads to a low threshold current density compared with that obtained from the use of a heterogeneous active region. Here, we present a low threshold THz DFG-QCL based on a λ~6.8 μm DAU active region. The λ~6.8 μm DAU-QCLs have exhibited very low threshold current density as well as broad gain bandwidth. By applying the λ~6.8 μm DAU design approach, the device demonstrates room temperature CW operation without an epidown mounting scheme, where a threshold current density for THz emission has been shown to be low, at 1.3 kA/cm2. Besides, ultra-broadband emission covering 1.6–3.5 THz has been obtained in CW mode below 200 K.
We discuss novel approaches to improve the tuning bandwidth and power output of terahertz (THz) sources based on difference-frequency generation (DFG) in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). Using a double Littrow external-cavity system, we experimentally demonstrate that both doubly-resonant terms and optical rectification terms in the expression for the intersubband optical nonlinearity contribute to THz generation in DFG-QCLs and report THz DFG-QCLs with the optimized optical rectification terms. We also demonstrate a hybrid DFG-QCL device on silicon that enables significant improvement on THz out-coupling efficiency and results in more than 5 times higher THz output power compared to that of a reference device on its native semi-insulating InP substrate. Finally, we report for the first time the THz emission linewidth of a free-running continuous-wave THz DFG-QCL.
A high photoresponse in a room-temperature quantum cascade detector (QCD) based on a coupled quantum-well design is demonstrated with a peak detection wavelength of 5.4 μm. In this design, forward electron transfer is engineered to be five times as large as relaxation back to ground level. In this situation, the coupled quantum-well QCD indicates a high responsivity of 22 mA/W as well as a specified detectivity (D*) of 8.0×107 cmW-1Hz1/2, both at room-temperature with commonly used 45° wedge configuration. Applying a waveguide configuration for the proposed QCD, an elevated responsivity of ~130 mA/W with a D* of 1.1×108 cmW-1Hz1/2 was obtained at room-temperature. A laser absorption spectroscopy for N2O gas with proposed QCD and a distributed feedback quantum cascade laser has been also demonstrated.
Quantum cascade (QC) lasers are promising light sources for many chemical sensing applications in the mid-infrared
spectral range. For industrial applications, broadband wavelength tuning of external-cavity QC lasers with very broad
gain-width has been demonstrated. QC lasers based on anti-crossed dual-upper-state (DAU) designs are one of the
promising candidates because of its broad bandwidth as well as high device performances. In fact, wide wavelength
tuning of external cavity QC lasers with the anti-crossed DAU designs has been exhibited in several wavelengths: the
tuning range of ~25% in pulsed mode and <17% in cw mode at room temperature. Here we report conspicuous
temperature performances of continuous wave quantum cascade lasers with broad gain bandwidths. The lasers with the
anti-crossed DAU designs, characterized by strong super-linear current-light output curves, exhibit the extremely high
characteristic temperature for threshold current density, T0~750 K above room temperature. In addition, its slope
efficiency is growing with increasing temperature (negative T1-value). For the pulsed operation of a short 1 mm length
laser, the temperature coefficient reaches the surprisingly high value of 1085 K over 340-380 K temperature range. The
distinctive characteristics of the DAU lasers are attributable to the optical absorption quenching which has been clarified
to take place in indirect pumped QC lasers. Such high characteristic temperatures of the DAU-QC lasers provide great
advantages for practical applications, in addition to its potential of broadband tuning.
A wide wavelength tuning of an external cavity quantum-cascade (QC) laser based on the anticrossed dual-upper-state to
multiple-lower-state design is demonstrated in continuous wave (cw) operation at room temperature. The tuning ranges
of 321 cm-1 (Δλ/λ~22%) in pulsed operation and 248 cm-1 (Δλ/λ~17%) in cw operation are achieved, despite
employment of the active region with translational symmetry. The present tuning range in cw operation substantially
exceeds the values obtained with the QC lasers based on conventional broadband active region designs. In addition, the
continuous, single mode tuning is realized with its widely homogeneous gain spectrum.
We report a high performance operation of quantum cascade lasers based on Single Phonon-Continuum depopulation
(SPC) structures. The lasers exhibit low CW threshold current densities and high characteristic temperatures in the wide
wavelength range between 4.5 and 10.8 μm. An 8.2 μm laser, despite a bare ridge structure which is extremely simple
configuration without any intentional thermal dissipation equipments and any HR coatings, demonstrates the high device
performance: a low threshold current density of 1.66 kA/cm2 and a high maximum output power of 76 mW (from one
facet) at room temperature in CW operation. Our shortest wavelength 4.5 μm laser with HR coating reveals a low
threshold current density of 1.7 kA/cm2 and maximum output power of 161 mW at room temperature in CW operation.
For long wavelength, we present the first room temperature, CW operation of DFB QCL with top grating. The DFB laser
emits ~9.6 μm single mode spectra at temperatures between -5 °C and 50 °C. The wide tuning range is obtained to be
from 1031 to 1039 cm-1.
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