High-power terahertz (THz) sources are highly desired for applications in biomolecular and chemical sensing such as detection of DNA and protein, evaluation of pollutants and hazards, and atmosphere monitoring. THz Quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs) are one of the most promising terahertz sources for those applications, with a vast commercial potential. Here, we present a high-power terahertz quantum cascade laser emitting at ~3.9 THz operating in continuous-wave operation. The high output power and wall-plug efficiency are achieved based on a hybrid bound-to-bound quantum active design. A record output power of 312 mW and a low threshold power density of 0.8 kW/mm3 in continuous-wave mode at 20 K is demonstrated for a 300-μm-wide and 2-mm-long device from single facet. The wall-plug efficiency is 1.38% and the slope efficiency is 684 mW/A with a differential quantum efficiency of ~120 photons per injected electron. The demonstration of this low-threshold and high-power THz laser will promote THz-based remote sensing and standoff detection for pharmaceutical and health industry applications.
Integration of ridge array and Talbot cavity is an effective method for semiconductor laser optical power amplification. However, it is difficult for such designs to work stably in the fundamental supermode, resulting in the inability to achieve phase locking among the ridge arrays. Here, we report a phase-locked scheme that significantly increases the waveguide loss of high-order supermodes by adjusting the absorption boundary width of the ridge array, making the Talbot devices work stably in the fundamental supermode. Compared with the first-generation devices, the output power of the designed device is increased from 286 mW to 359 mW, and the central brightness is increased by twice. The demonstrated phase-locked high-brightness terahertz (THz) laser sources will have great application potential in THz spectroscopy and imaging.
Frequency combs, spectra of phase-coherent equidistant lines, have revolutionized time and frequency metrology. The recently developed quantum cascade laser (QCL) comb has exhibits great potential with high power and broadband spectrum. However, in the terahertz (THz) range, cryogenic cooling has to be applied for THz QCL combs. We report a room temperature THz frequency comb at 3.0 THz based on difference-frequency generation from a mid-IR QCL comb. A largely detuned distributed-feedback grating is integrated into the QCL cavity to provide the single mode operation as well as enhanced spatial hole-burning effect for multimode comb operation. Multiheterodyne spectroscopy with multiple equally spaced lines by beating it with a reference Fabry-Pérot comb confirms the THz comb operation. This type of THz comb provides a new solution to chip-based high-speed high-resolution THz spectroscopy with compact size at room temperature.
We present the recent development of high performance compact frequency comb sources based on mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. Significant performance improvements of our frequency combs with respect to the continuous wave power output, spectral bandwidth, and beatnote linewidth are achieved by systematic optimization of the device's active region, group velocity dispersion, and waveguide design. To date, we have demonstrated the most efficient, high power frequency comb operation from a free-running room temperature continuous wave (RT CW) dispersion engineered QCL atλ ~5-9μm. In terms of bandwidth, the comb covered a broad spectral range of 120 cm-1 with a radio-frequency intermode beatnote spectral linewidth of 40 Hz and a total power output of 880 mW at 8 μm and 1 W at λ~5.0μm. The developing characteristics show the potential for fast detection of various gas molecules. Furthermore, THz comb sources based on difference frequency generation in a mid-IR QCL combs could be potentially developed.
Distinctive position of Terahertz (THz) frequencies (ν~0.3 -10 THz) in the electromagnetic spectrum with their lower quantum energy compared to IR and higher frequency compared to microwave range allows for many potential applications unique to them. Especially in the security side of the THz sensing applications, the distinct absorption spectra of explosives and related compounds in the range of 0.1–5 THz makes THz technology a competitive technique for detecting hidden explosives. A compact, high power, room temperature continuous wave terahertz source emitting in a wide frequency range will greatly boost the THz applications for the diagnosis and detection of explosives. Here we present a new strong-coupled strain-balanced quantum cascade laser design for efficient THz generation based intracavity DFG. Room temperature continuous wave operation with electrical frequency tuning range of 2.06-4.35 THz is demonstrated.
We present the recent development of high performance compact THz sources based on intracavity nonlinear
frequency mixing in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. Significant performance improvements of our THz
sources with respect to the continuous wave THz power output, monolithic THz tuning, and widely frequency are
achieved by systematic optimization of the device's active region, waveguide design, and chip bonding strategy.
Room temperature continuous wave THz power of more than 10 μW at 3.4 THz is demonstrated at room
temperature. Monolithic THz tuning of a chip-based THz source from 2.6 to 4.2 THz with power up to 0.1 mW is
achieved. Surface emission from the substrate via a diffraction grating with THz power up to 0.5 mW is also
obtained. The developing characteristics show the potential for these THz sources as local oscillators for many
astronomical and medical applications.
We present the recent development of high performance compact THz sources based on intracavity nonlinear frequency mixing in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. Significant performance improvements of our THz sources with respect to the continuous wave THz power output, monolithic THz tuning, and widely frequency are achieved by systematic optimization of the device's active region, waveguide design, and chip bonding strategy. Room temperature continuous wave THz power of more than 10 μW at 3.4 THz is demonstrated at room temperature. Monolithic THz tuning of a chip-based THz source from 2.6 to 4.2 THz with power up to 0.1 mW is achieved. Surface emission from the substrate via a diffraction grating with THz power up to 0.5 mW is also obtained. The developing characteristics show the potential for these THz sources as local oscillators for many astronomical and medical applications.
We demonstrate the first room temperature continuous wave THz sources based on intracavity difference frequency
generation from mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. This accomplishment was enabled by integration of several key
technologies, resulting in a new high efficiency waveguide design and improved thermal dissipation. Room temperature
single mode emissions at 3.6 THz with an emitting power of 3 μW and a mid-IR-to-THz conversion efficiency of 0.44
mW/W2 are obtained in continuous wave mode. THz peak power up to 1.4 mW in pulsed mode operation with a mid-IRto-
THz conversion efficiency of 0.8 mW/W2 at 3.5 THz is also demonstrated.
We present the recent development of high performance compact THz sources based on intracavity nonlinear
frequency mixing in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. Significant performance improvements of our THz
sources in the spectral purity, frequency coverage as well as THz power are achieved by systematic optimizing the
device's active region, waveguide, phase matching scheme, and chip bonding strategy. Room temperature
single-mode operation in a wide THz spectral range of 1-4.6 THz is demonstrated from our Čerenkov phase-matched
THz sources with dual-period DFB gratings. High THz power up to 215 μW at 3.5 THz is demonstrated via
epi-down mounting of our THz device. The THz power is later scaled up to mW level by increased the mid-IR
power and conversion efficiency. The rapid development renders this type of THz sources promising local oscillators
for many astronomical and medical applications.
We present the high performance THz sources based on intracavity difference-frequency generation from mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. Room temperature single-mode operation in a wide THz spectral range of 1-4.6 THz is demonstrated from our Cerenkov phase-matched THz sources with dual-period DFB gratings. High THz power up to 215 μW at 3.5 THz is demonstrated via epi-down mounting of our THz device. The rapid development renders this type of THz sources promising local oscillators for many astronomical and medical applications.
This paper describes our development efforts at Northwestern University regarding dual-section sampled
grating distributed feedback (SGDFB) QCLs. These devices are the same size, but have much wider electrical tuning,
than a traditional DFB laser. In this paper, I will show how we have dramatically extended the monolithic tuning range
of high power quantum cascade lasers with high side mode suppression. This includes individual laser element tuning of
up to 50 cm-1 and 24 dB average side mode suppression. These lasers are capable of room temperature continuous
operation with high power (<100 mW) output. Additionally, we have demonstrated a broad spectral coverage of over
350 cm-1 on a single chip, which is equivalent to 87.5% of the gain bandwidth. The eventual goal is to realize an
extended array of such laser modules in order to continuously cover a similar or broader spectral range, similar to an
external cavity device without any external components.
We demonstrate room temperature terahertz (THz) quantum cascade laser (QCL) sources with a broad spectral coverage based on intracavity difference-frequency generation. Dual mid-infrared (mid-IR) active cores based on the single-phonon resonance scheme are designed with a THz nonlinearity specially optimized for the high operating fields that correspond to the highest mid-infrared output powers. Integrated dual-period distributed feedback (DFB) gratings with different grating periods are used to purify and tune the mid-IR and THz spectra. Two different phase matching schemes are used for THz generation. The first is the collinear modal phase matching scheme, wherein the wafer is grown on a n+ InP substrate. Room temperature single mode operation THz emission with frequency tuning range from 3.3 to 4.6 THz and THz power up to 65 mW at 4.0 THz are realized. The mid-IR to THz power conversion efficiency is 23 uW/W2. The second is the Čerenkov phase-matching scheme, wherein the wafer is grown on a semi-insulating InP substrate, and device’s facet is polished into 20-30 degrees for THz extraction. Room temperature single mode emissions from 1.0 to 4.6 THz with a side-mode suppression ratio and output power up to 40 dB and 32 µW are obtained, respectively. The mid-IR to THz power conversion efficiency is 50 uW/W2.
We demonstrate room temperature, continuous wave operation of quantum cascade ring lasers around 5 μm with single
mode operation up to 0.51 W output power. Single mode operation persists up to 0.4 W. Light is coupled out of the ring
cavity through the substrate with a second order distributed feedback grating. The substrate emission scheme allows for
epilayer-down bonding, which leads to room temperature continuous wave operation. The far field analysis indicates that
the device operates in a high order mode.
We present the fabrication and characterization of mid-infrared photonic-crystal quantum cascade
lasers (PC QCLs). Holographic lithography (HL) instead of electron beam lithography (EBL) has been
used in the preparation of PC lattices to simplify the fabrication procedures. Compared with the EBL,
the HL technique provides a rapid and large area processing capability with high efficiency and low
cost. Two PC lattice structures, namely a first-order square lattice and a tilted rectangular lattice were
defined using a multi-exposure two-beam holographic technique, respectively. The devices with square
PC lattice exhibit single longitudinal mode emission with a side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) about
20 dB. While, no sign of improvement in the far field distribution for the device was observed, which
was attributed to the lack of two-dimensional coupling mechanism in this lattice structure. Whereas
devices with tilted rectangular lattice PC lattices exhibit the near-diffraction-limited beam emission
with the full width at half maximum of the far field divergence angles about 4.5° for devices with stripe
widths of 55 μm. Single longitudinal mode emission with SMSR≈20 dB was achieved in the
temperature range of 80-210 K. The single-facet output power was above 510 mW for a 55 μm × 2.5
mm laser bar at 85 K in pulsed operation. This economical and efficient holographic fabrication
process of photonic crystal quantum cascade lasers with high power, single-mode operation and
near-diffraction-limited beam quality would pave the way for the wide commercial application of the devices.
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