太赫兹量子级联激光器材料生长及表征

采用气态源分子束外延方法生长了束缚态到连续态跃迁太赫兹量子级联激光器（terahertz quantum-cascade laser,简称THz QCL）有源区结构,并且采用电化学CV仪、霍尔测试仪以及高分辨X射线衍射对材料的质量进行表征,得出THz QCL有源区具有很高的晶体质量.另外,采用蒙特卡罗方法模拟了共振声子THz QCL器件的I-V曲线,分析了在不同偏压下子能级的对齐状况和电子的输运特征. 关键词： 太赫兹 量子级联激光器 分子束外延 X射线衍射     

基于太赫兹量子阱探测器的太赫兹量子级联激光器发射谱研究

采用一个光谱匹配的太赫兹(THz)量子阱探测器(QWP)研究了一激射频率约为41 THz的THz量子级联激光器(QCL)在不同驱动电流下的发射谱,分析了测量得到的发射谱谱型和谱峰位置,根据测量的发射谱估算了太赫兹量子级联激光器发射功率随驱动电流变化的情况,从而得到了THz QCL激射的电流密度范围及其阈值电流密度.文中还研究了THz QWP在不同温度下对THz QCL 激光辐射的响应特性.研究结果表明,THz QWP在表征THz QCL的发射谱方面是一种很好的探测器,并有望成为未来THz通信中的接收装置. 关键词： 太赫兹量子阱探测器 太赫兹量子级联激光器 太赫兹通信 Fourier变换红外光谱     

2.9THz束缚态向连续态跃迁量子级联激光器研制

采用气源分子束外延技术生长了GaAs/AlGaAs束缚态向连续 态跃迁的太赫兹量子级联激光器材料, 基于半绝缘等离子体波导工艺制作了太赫兹量子级联激光器. 测量了激光器的发射光谱和功率-电流-电压关系曲线, 研究了器件的激光特性. 器件激射频率约2.95 THz, 脉冲模式下, 最高工作温度为67 K. 连续波模式下, 阈值电流密度最低为230 A/cm², 最大光输出功率1.2 mW, 最高工作温度为30 K. 关键词： 太赫兹 量子级联激光器 分子束外延 波导     

太赫兹量子级联激光器频率梳的色散

群速度色散会限制太赫兹量子级联激光器频率梳的稳定以及频谱宽度.对于太赫兹量子级联激光器频率梳,其色散主要由器件增益、波导损耗、材料损耗引起.研究基于4.2 THz量子级联激光器双面金属波导结构,通过建立德鲁德模型,利用有限元法计算了激光器的波导损耗;器件未钳制的增益由费米黄金定则计算得到,结合增益钳制效应,计算了器件子带电子跃迁吸收以及镜面损耗,得到了器件钳制后的增益;利用Kramers-Kronig关系得到了器件的增益、波导损耗、材料损耗引起的色散,结果表明器件的激射区域存在非常严重的色散(–8×10~5—8×10~5 fs~2/mm).同时,计算了一种基于Gires-Tournois干涉仪结构的色散,结果表明,该结构的色散具有周期性,可以用于太赫兹量子级联激光器的色散补偿.     

基于太赫兹量子阱探测器的太赫兹量子级联激光器发射谱研究

采用一个光谱匹配的太赫兹(THz)量子阱探测器(QWP)研究了一激射频率约为41 THz的THz量子级联激光器(QCL)在不同驱动电流下的发射谱,分析了测量得到的发射谱谱型和谱峰位置,根据测量的发射谱估算了太赫兹量子级联激光器发射功率随驱动电流变化的情况,从而得到了THz QCL激射的电流密度范围及其阈值电流密度.文中还研究了THz QWP在不同温度下对THz QCL 激光辐射的响应特性.研究结果表明,THz QWP在表征THz QCL的发射谱方面是一种很好的探测器,并有望成为未来THz通信中的接收装置.     

二阶分布反馈太赫兹量子级联激光器的光学特性

太赫兹量子级联激光器(THz QCL)的增益谱较宽,使用普通法布里-珀罗腔时一般为多纵模激射。二阶分布反馈THz QCL可利用表面辐射损耗消除模式简并,实现单纵模激射。采用耦合模理论对单面金属波导二阶分布反馈THz QCL基本参数的计算公式进行了理论推导,并研究了光栅结构参数对其耦合系数、阈值增益、光子密度及外微分量子效率等参数的影响。在以自然解理面为端面的波导上刻蚀占空比约为0.15、有源区深度为0.5μm的光栅时,激光器的阈值增益较低,腔内光子密度分布相对均匀,能够实现单纵模激射。     

掺杂BaTiO3/SrTiO3多层膜与太赫兹波相互作用

掺杂半导体中的载流子吸收在THz波段非常明显,其相互作用研究是研制THz通信中的关键器件之一的基础。采用氟化氪（KrF）脉冲准分子激光烧蚀沉积（PLD）技术,制备了Ni掺杂BaTiO3/SrTiO3多层膜。基于辐射频率为3.09 THz、脉冲功率为10 mW量级的THz 量子级联激光器(QCL)光源研究了太赫兹波在Ni掺杂BaTiO3/SrTiO3多层膜中的传输,发现损耗主要是Ni颗粒的非共振吸收导致。     

三阶分布反馈太赫兹量子级联激光器的远场分布特性

研究了三阶分布反馈太赫兹量子级联激光器的设计、制作并分析了其纵模和横模特性.通过建立波导结构模型,利用有限元方法模拟激光器波导结构内的三维模场分布,通过本征模的损耗分析器件的纵模模式选择机理.同时,由本征模的近场通过近-远场傅里叶变换求得激光器的远场分布.采用半导体工艺制作了4.3 THz双面金属波导三阶分布反馈量子级联激光器,测量了不同器件的发射谱和远场光束质量,远场发散角为12?×13?,实验结果和理论模拟符合.     

分布反馈太赫兹量子级联激光器实现高功率单模输出

太赫兹量子级联激光器(THz QCL)是一种基于超晶格或耦合多量子阱中电子共振隧穿和子带间跃迁的单极光源,其辐射频率可通过能带和波函数设计进行调控,具有响应速度高、体积小、便于集成等优点。近年来,国际上多个科研团队展开了对THz QCL的密集研究,器件性能取得了显著的进展。针对THz QCL的实际应用,目前急切需要解决两个方面的问题:第一方面,受限于严重的大气衰减、光束合成等困难,急需解决THz QCL功率输出提升的问题。第二方面,研制窄线宽、高功率单模输出的太赫兹本振源。     

基于太赫兹量子级联激光器的无线信号传输的实现

文章采用连续波激射的太赫兹量子级联激光器(THz QCL) 为发射端、光谱匹配的THz量子阱探测器(THz QWP) 为接收端, 搭建了基于THz波的无线传输演示系统. 测量并分析了该演示系统的传输带宽. 采用搭建的无线传输系统演示了基于4.13 THz电磁波的图片文件的无线传输过程, 得到了与源文件一致的结果, 验证了采用THz QCL和THz QWP进行THz信号无线传输的可行性.最后, 分析了演示系统的传输速率, 给出了提高系统传输速率的方法.     

Frequency and phase-lock control of a 3 THz quantum cascade laser

We have locked the frequency of a 3 THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) to that of a far-infrared gas laser with a tunable microwave offset frequency. The locked QCL line shape is essentially Gaussian, with linewidths of 65 and 141 kHz at the -3 and -10 dB levels, respectively. The lock condition can be maintained indefinitely, without requiring temperature or bias current regulation of the QCL other than that provided by the lock error signal. The result demonstrates that a terahertz QCL can be frequency controlled with 1-part-in-10(8) accuracy, which is a factor of 100 better than that needed for a local oscillator in a heterodyne receiver for atmospheric and astronomic spectroscopy.     

Material growth and device fabrication of terahertz quantum-cascade laser based on bound-to-continuum structure

The terahertz quantum-cascade laser （THz QCL） based on bound-to-continuum structure is demonstrated. The X-ray diffraction measurement of the material shows a high crystalline quality of the active region. A THz QCL device was fabricated with semi-insulating surface-plasmon waveguide. The test device is lasing at about 3 THz and operating up to 60 K. It shows a single frequency property under different drive currents and temperatures. At 9 K, the maximum output power is greater than 2 mW with a threshold current density of 159 A/cm2.     

Room‐temperature terahertz emission from ZnSe‐based quantum cascade structures: A simulation study

We identified conditions for room‐temperature operation of terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs) where variable barrier heights are used on ZnSe/Zn_1–xMg_x Se material systems. The THz QCL devices are based on three‐level two‐well design schemes. The THz QCL lasers with alternating quantum barriers with different heights were compared with THz QCL laser structures with fixed quantum barrier heights. It is found that the THz QCL device with novel design employing variable barrier heights achieved the terahertz emission of about 1.45 THz at room‐temperature (300 K), and has improved laser performance due to the suppression of thermally activated carrier leakage via higher‐energy parasitic levels. Thus, THz QCL devices employing the design with variable barrier heights may lead to future improvements of the operating temperature and performance of THz QCL lasers. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Terahertz imaging through self-mixing in a quantum cascade laser

We demonstrate terahertz (THz) frequency imaging using a single quantum cascade laser (QCL) device for both generation and sensing of THz radiation. Detection is achieved by utilizing the effect of self-mixing in the THz QCL, and, specifically, by monitoring perturbations to the voltage across the QCL, induced by light reflected from an external object back into the laser cavity. Self-mixing imaging offers high sensitivity, a potentially fast response, and a simple, compact optical design, and we show that it can be used to obtain high-resolution reflection images of exemplar structures.     

Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser at 3.39THz

We demonstrate the growth of terahertz quantum cascade laser （THz QCL） by gas source molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopic measurements show the high crystalline quality of the THz QCL active region, From the cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy image, sharp interfaces are observed and the deduced cascade period thickness is consistent with the result of x-ray diffraction. The test device is lasing at 3.39THz and operating up to lOOK in pulsed mode. At IOK, the maximum output power is greater than 1 mW with a threshold current density of 738 A/cm^2.     

Integrated injection seeded terahertz source and amplifier for time-domain spectroscopy

We used a terahertz (THz) quantum cascade laser (QCL) as an integrated injection seeded source and amplifier for THz time-domain spectroscopy. A THz input pulse is generated inside a QCL by illuminating the laser facet with a near-IR pulse from a femtosecond laser and amplified using gain switching. The THz output from the QCL is found to saturate upon increasing the amplitude of the THz input power, which indicates that the QCL is operating in an injection seeded regime.     

Detection of a directly modulated terahertz light with quantum-well photodetector

We demonstrate a wireless transmission link at 3.9 THz over a distance of 0.5 m by employing a terahertz （Hz） quantum-cascade laser （QCL） and a THz quantum-well photodetector （QWP）. We make direct voltage modulation of the THz QCL and use a spectral-matched THz QWP to detect the modulated THz light from the laser. The small signal model and a direct voltage modulation scheme of the laser are presented. A square wave up to 30 MHz is added to the laser and detected by the THz detector. The bandwidth limit of the wireless link is also discussed.