We present results and analysis of 5 Gb/s On-Off-Keyed (OOK) data transmission at ~ 4.6-micron wavelength using, at room temperature, a directly modulated, single-mode DFB-QCL transmitter and a Resonant-Cavity Infrared Detector (RCID) receiver. The DFB-QCL design enables relatively high 165-mW CW output power. We used a 3-mm device with ~ 4-micron aperture for stable single-spatial-mode operation, operating at 65 mW. The RCID detector suppresses background radiation while providing enhanced quantum efficiency, ~ 60%, with low polarization dependence and low dark current at room temperature. The data transmission was achieved with no transmitter pulse shaping, consistent with lower-cost transceiver implementation.
Resonant cavity infrared detectors (RCIDs) can reduce the noise in sensing a laser signal by strongly suppressing background photocurrent at wavelengths outside the narrow spectral band of interest. We recently reported an RCID with 100-nm-thick InAsSb/InAs absorber, GaAs/AlGaAs bottom mirror, and Ge/SiO2 top mirror. At T = 300 K, the external quantum efficiency reached 58% atλres ≈ 4.6 μm, with linewidth δλ = 27 nm. The characteristics at 125 K implied a specific detectivity of 5.5 × 1012 cm Hz½/W, which is more than 3× higher than for a state-of-the-art broadband HgCdTe device operating at that temperature. However, a prominent variation with mesa diameter of the deposited Ge spacer thickness made it difficult to predictably control λres for devices processed with a given diameter. This has been addressed by measuring the reflectivity spectrum following deposition of the spacer, so that thicknesses of the top mirror’s SiO2 and Ge layers could be adjusted appropriately to attain a targeted resonance. This was especially beneficial in matching the λres for a small mesa, needed to minimize the capacitance in high-frequency measurements, to the emission wavelength of a given ewquantum cascade laser.
Accurate nonequilibrium Green’s-functions simulations of record-performance 4.9 µm- and 8.3 µm-emitting QCLs, employing Photon-Induced Carrier Transport (PICT), require inclusion of graded interfaces when calculating Interface-Roughness (IFR) scattering. Matching threshold-current densities and V-I characteristics, all IFR parameters were extracted. The root-mean-square height and in-plane correlation length are found to be higher and lower, respectively, than when assuming abrupt interfaces. Abrupt-interfaces’ modeled 4.9 µm-emitting QCLs lack PICT action, which reduces the calculated maximum wall-plug efficiency, η(wp,max), value from 27% to 18.7%. Abrupt-interfaces’ modeled 8.3 µm-emitting QCLs have approximately 70% higher relative leakage-current density, which reduces the calculated η(wp,max) value from 17% to 11.7%.
Self-heating in mid-infrared QCLs leads to beam instabilities and facet related failures. Single-element 4.6 μm-emitting BH QCLs were fabricated, where a tapered region scales the output power and, ahead of the emitting aperture, a narrow section provides mode filtering for suppressing high-order spatial modes. Beam-stability measurements indicate a small degree of collimated-beam centroid motion (< 0.25 mrad) can be achieved at >1.5W QCW output powers. Comparisons between short-pulse current and QCW operation reveal the impact of thermal lensing on the beam properties, while full 3D modeling provides insights into influence of device geometry on mode selection.
Accurate simulation of V-I characteristics for mid-IR quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) with photon-induced carrier transport (PICT) is achieved by using the non-equilibrium Green’s function method coupled with the interface-roughness scattering formalism taking into account graded interfaces and axial correlation lengths. Analysis of 4.9 µm- and 8.3 µm-emitting, buried-heterostructure (BH) QCLs reveals that PICT action reduces the differential resistance by a factor of 2.5 and increases the maximum-current density by ~ 30 % compared to conventional BH QCLs, which explains their record-high, single-facet wall-plug efficiency values (i.e., 27 % and 17 %). Interface grading allows obtaining emission wavelengths close to experiment.
Scaling the coherent power of mid-infrared (IR)-emitting quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) to the multi-watt range remains an important objective for applications where the laser beam needs to travel through air to remote targets, such as freespace communication links. For such applications requiring long-range pointing accuracy, measurements of beam stability are also important. We present beam-quality measurement results of narrow-ridge (4-5 μm), 4.6 μm-emitting buriedheterostructure (BH) QCLs. A 40-stage, step-tapered active-region (STA) structure was grown by MOCVD, and ICP etching was used to make deep ridges. InP:Fe was preferentially regrown in the field regions by using an SiO2 mask for ridge etching and Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE). The HVPE process is attractive for selective regrowth, since high growth rates (0.2-0.3 μm/min) can be utilized, and highly planar top surfaces can readily be obtained. HVPE regrowth has been previously employed for BH devices of MBE-grown QCL ridges, but beam-stability measurements were not reported. HR-coated, 7.5 mm-long devices were measured under QCW operation (100 μsec pulse width, 0.5%-10% duty cycle) – very good beam quality factors, M2 < 1.2, were observed for both 4 μm and 5 μm ridge widths, but the narrower ridge exhibited better pointing stability. Collimated 5 μm-wide BH devices displayed some small degree of centroid motion with increasing power (< 0.125 mrad). This corresponds to a targeting error of ~1.25 cm over a distance of 100 m. Significantly improved lateral-beam stability was observed for narrower ridge width, although at the expense of reduced output power.
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