Semiconductor disk lasers for the generation of visible and ultraviolet radiation

Recent developments in semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) generating visible or ultraviolet light are reviewed. After an introduction on potential applications, we discuss how the combination of vertical‐emitting semiconductor GaAs‐based structures and intra‐cavity nonlinear conversion techniques can be successfully exploited to uniquely meet demands for continuous‐wave radiation in the visible and ultraviolet spectral range. To do so, an overview of the device operating principles and performance is presented highlighting the underlying material considerations, semiconductor structural designs, thermal management techniques and suitable cavity configurations. This summary is completed by a presentation of new developments in the field, with a particular focus on the trends towards miniaturization.     

Near‐3‐MeV protons from target‐normal‐sheath‐acceleration femtosecond laser irradiating advanced targets

Advanced targets based on graphene oxide and gold thin film were irradiated at high laser intensity (10¹⁸–10¹⁹ W/cm²) with 50‐fs laser pulses and high contrast (10⁸) to investigate ion acceleration in the target‐normal‐sheath‐acceleration regime. Time‐of‐flight technique was employed with SiC semiconductor detectors and ion collectors in order to measure the ion kinetic energy and to control the properties of the generated plasma. It was found that, at the optimized laser focus position with respect to the target, maximum proton acceleration up to about 3 MeV energy and low angular divergence could be generated. The high proton energy is explained as due to the high electrical and thermal conductivity of the reduced graphene oxide structure. Dependence of the maximum proton energy on the target focal position and thickness is presented and discussed.     

ZnCdO/ZnO – a new heterosystem for green‐wavelength semiconductor lasing

We report on our efforts to cultivate the ternary compound ZnCdO as a semiconductor laser material. Molecular beam epitaxy far from thermal equilibrium allows us to overcome the standard solubility limit and to fabricate alloys with band gaps ranging from 3.4 down to 2.1 eV. Optimized structures containing well‐defined quantum wells as active zones are capable of low‐threshold lasing under optical pumping up to room temperature. The longest lasing wavelength achieved so far is 510 nm.     

Injection locking of mid‐infrared quantum cascade laser at 14 GHz,by direct microwave modulation

Compact laser sources operating in mid infrared spectral region with stable emission are important for applications in spectroscopy and wireless communication. Quantum cascade lasers (QCL) are unique semiconductor sources covering mid infrared frequency range. Based on intersubband transitions, the carrier lifetime of these sources is in the ps range. For this reason their frequency response to direct modulation is expected to overcome the limits of standard semiconductor lasers. In this work injection locking of the roundtrip frequency of a QCL emitting at 9 μm is reported. Inter modes laser frequency separation is stabilized and controlled by an external microwave source. Designing an optical waveguide embedded in a microstrip line a flat frequency response to direct modulation up to 14 GHz is presented. Injection locking over MHz frequency range at 13.7 GHz is demonstrated. Numerical solutions of injection locking theory are discussed and presented as tool to describe experimental results.     

新型多有源区隧道再生光耦合大功率半导体激光器

针对大功率半导体激光器面临的主要困难,提出并实现了一种隧道再生多有源区耦合大光腔 高效大功率半导体激光器机理.该机理能有效地解决光功率密度过高引起的端面灾变性毁坏 、热烧毁和光束质量差等大功率激光器存在的主要问题.采用低压金属有机化合物气相淀积 方法生长了以碳和硅作为掺杂剂的GaAs隧道结、GaAs/InGaAs 应变量子阱有源区和新型多有 源区半导体激光器外延结构,并制备了高性能大功率980nm激光器件.三有源区激光器外微分 量子效率达2.2,2A驱动电流下单面未镀膜激光输出功率高达2.5W. 关键词： 半导体激光器 大功率 金属有机化合物气相沉积     

Quantum design of semiconductor active materials: laser and amplifier applications

We present an overview of a novel first‐principles quantum approach to designing and optimizing semiconductor quantum‐well material systems for target wavelengths. Using these microscopic inputs as basic building blocks we predict the light‐current (LI) characteristic for a low power InGaPAs ridge laser without having to use adjustable fit parameters. Finally we employ these microscopic inputs to develop sophisticated simulation capabilities for designing and optimizing end packaged hi gh power laser structures. As an explicit example of the latter, we consider the design of a vertical external cavity semiconductor laser (VECSEL).     

封装热应力致半导体激光器“Smile”效应的抑制方法

封装热应力所致smile效应是阵列封装大功率半导体激光器中普遍存在的问题。为解决这一问题,本文在研究smile效应产生机理的基础上,提出采用错温封装技术和热沉预应力封装技术降低smile效应的措施。以某808nm水平阵列封装半导体激光器为例,采用仿真分析的办法研究了上述技术的可行性和有效性。仿真分析表明,采用传统封装技术,在恢复至室温22℃后,芯片smile值约为39.36μm,采用封装前升高芯片温度至429℃的错温封装技术,可以将smile值降至1.9μm;若采用热沉预应力技术,对热沉的两个端面沿长边方向分别施加190 N的拉力,可以将smile值降至0.35μm。结果表明,这两种封装措施是有效的。错温封装技术和热沉预应力封装技术具有易于实现的优点,其中热沉预应力技术对于各种smile效应类型和不同的smile值都可以调整和修正。     

The spectroscopic and energy transfer characteristics of the rare earth ions used for silicate glass fibre lasers operating in the shortwave infrared

The continuing growth in the research and development of high power diode‐pumped fibre lasers relates to the exceptional thermal management provided by the extended geometry of the fibre and the small quantum defect associated with the 1 μm emitting Yb³⁺ ion. Lengthening the emission wavelength of diode‐pumped fibre lasers further into the infrared is important for many applications ranging from medicine to defence; however, extending the emission wavelength remains a challenge. This review will examine in detail the spectroscopy and the energy transfer processes that impact Tm³⁺‐doped and Ho³⁺‐doped silicate glasses that are used for fibre lasers in the 1.9 μm to 2.1 μm region of the shortwave infrared spectrum. We will explore a number of important applications that function in the shortwave infrared region that will benefit from using these light sources and I will suggest the reasons for choosing silicate glass over other glasses as the host material for this wavelength range.     

Low‐wavelength emission of Nd‐doped lasers

This paper gives an overview of the results obtained with diode‐pumped Neodymium‐doped crystals operating below 900 nm. Operation at such low wavelengths requires considering the strong thermal population of the lower level of the laser transition. Based on a theoretical study and simulations, the paper presents the challenges related to the design of these three‐level lasers. Experimental results are given with Nd:YAG and Nd:vanadate crystals. It is explained how to deal with the line competition with emission at 946 nm or 912 nm. Finally, intracavity second‐harmonic generation is presented. The output powers reach a few hundred mW at wavelengths below 450 nm. Hence, the paper demonstrates the potential of Nd‐doped diode‐pumped solid‐state lasers for applications in the blue range, in replacement of gas lasers such as helium‐cadmium lasers.     

Tunable 19 × 10 GHz L-band FP-SOA based multi-wavelength mode-locked fiber laser

We present a multi-wavelength mode-locked fiber ring laser incorporating a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a Fabry-Perot semiconductor optical amplifier (FP-SOA). Because the gain of the SOA is depleted by an external injection optical signal, the SOA acts as a loss modulator. The FP-SOA serves as a tunable comb filter. The presented laser source can generate 19 synchronized wavelength channels with the extinction ratio of about 21 dB, each mode-locked at 10 GHz, and mode-locked pulse width is about 40 ps. Oscillation wavelengths band can be tuned by adjusting the bias current of the SOA, and wavelength spacing also can be changed by using a tunable optical delay line (ODL) or a temperature controller. The polarization-insensitive devices ensure that the output power is rather stable. This fiber laser has potential applications in longer waveband (L-band) within the low-attenuation window.     

Lateral Photovoltaic Effect and Photo‐Induced Resistance Effect in Nanoscale Metal‐Semiconductor Systems

Functionalization of photoelectric effect in nanostructures is presenting a promising strategy for humans to achieve precise detection and efficient transformation. Due to the high applied value, numerous materials and constructions are adopted for photoelectric effect to deliver on its potential performance. Among these functional materials, metal‐semiconductor (MS) or metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (MOS) systems own unparalleled advantage including reliable stability, superb physical performance, and simple fabrication process. Herein, two types of photoelectric effect, lateral photovoltaic and photo‐induced resistance effect, in nanostructure MS or MOS systems are reviewed. These effects have great potential in applications and will play a beneficial role in future investigations. In addition, how each component of the system contributes to the photoelectric properties and responds to external fields are detailed, suggesting future study directions in photoelectric fields.     

半导体玻璃微通道板的研制

介绍了半导体玻璃微通道板的主要性能，并与传统铅硅酸盐玻璃的相关性能进行了比较。阐述了半导体玻璃的研制工艺，研究了利用半导体玻璃材料制备微通道板的工艺途径，开发了靠玻璃本身体电导性质而无需氢还原工艺的微通道板，即半导体玻璃微通道板。研制出孔径为20μm、外径为12mm的半导体玻璃微通道板，实验利用紫外光电法测试了微通道板的增益、闪烁噪声和成像性能。结果表明新型微通道板具有明显的电子增益和低的闪烁噪声，并且通道表面稳定；利用磷硅酸盐玻璃材料可以实现体导电微通道板的制备。     

Erbium‐doped integrated waveguide amplifiers and lasers

Erbium‐doped fiber devices have been extraordinarily successful due to their broad optical gain around 1.5–1.6 µm. Er‐doped fiber amplifiers enable efficient, stable amplification of high‐speed, wavelength‐division‐multiplexed signals, thus continue to dominate as part of the backbone of longhaul telecommunications networks. At the same time, Er‐doped fiber lasers see many applications in telecommunications as well as in biomedical and sensing environments. Over the last 20 years significant efforts have been made to bring these advantages to the chip level. Device integration decreases the overall size and cost and potentially allows for the combination of many functions on a single tiny chip. Besides technological issues connected to the shorter device lengths and correspondingly higher Er concentrations required for high gain, the choice of appropriate host material as well as many design issues come into play in such devices. In this contribution the important developments in the field of Er‐doped integrated waveguide amplifiers and lasers are reviewed and current and future potential applications are explored. The vision of integrating such Er‐doped gain devices with other, passive materials platforms, such as silicon photonics, is discussed.     

Ultrafast Nonlinear Optical Properties of a Graphene Saturable Mirror in the 2 μm Wavelength Region

Mid‐infrared ultrafast lasers have emerged as a promising platform for both science and industry because of their inherent high raw power and eye‐safe spectrum. 2D nanostructures such as graphene have emerged as promising photonic materials for laser mode‐locking to generate ultrashort pulses. However, there are still many unanswered questions about graphene's key advantages to be practical devices, especially over the matured semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). In this work, we conducted systematic comparisons on the nonlinear optical properties of graphene and that of a commercial SESAM at 2 μm wavelength. Our results showed that graphene has significant advantages over the commercial SESAM, exhibiting ∼28% less absorptive cross‐section ratio of excited‐state to ground‐state and ∼50 times faster relaxation time. This implies that graphene can be exploited as a better mode‐locker than the current commercial SESAM for high power, high repetition rate and ultrafast mid‐infrared laser sources.     

半导体带间级联激光器研究进展

半导体带间级联量子阱是实现3~5μm波段中红外激光器的重要前沿,其在半导体光电器件技术、气体检测、医学医疗以及自由空间光通信等诸多领域具有重要科学意义和应用价值。半导体带间级联量子阱发光机理是以二类量子阱中的电子与空穴的带间辐射复合发光为主导,再通过电子注入区与空穴注入区形成级联放大,实现多个量子阱周期内电子与空穴的重复利用。本文综述了半导体带间级联激光器从提出能带结构、外延材料到器件制备技术的发展历程,剖析了器件结构各功能区基本概念和工作原理,介绍了器件结构设计与制备工艺技术难点的里程碑突破,详细解释了载流子再平衡、分别限制层等设计,最后展望了半导体带间级联激光器的发展方向和趋势。     

Applications of a dielectric coating to semiconductor lasers

Experimental studies and theoretical analyses on the effect of dielectric coatings on semiconductor laser performance are presented. It is demonstrated that the dielectric coating technique is a powerful means of controlling the laser threshold current, external quantum efficiency, maximum output power, longitudinal mode behaviour, lasing wavelength and spectral linewidth.     

Photonic‐on‐a‐chip: a thermal actuated Mach‐Zehnder interferometer and a molecular thermometer based on a single di‐ureasil organic‐inorganic hybrid

An integrated photonic‐on‐a‐chip device based on a single organic‐inorganic di‐ureasil hybrid was fabricated for optical waveguide and temperature sensing. The device is composed by a thermal actuated Mach‐Zehnder (MZ) interferometer operating with a switching power of 0.011 W and a maximum temperature difference between branches of 0.89 ºC. The MZ interferometer is covered by a Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺ co‐doped di‐ureasil luminescent molecular thermometer with a temperature uncertainty of 0.1ºC and a spatial resolution of 13 µm. This is an uncommon example in which the same material (an organic‐inorganic hybrid) that is used to fabricate a particular device (a thermal‐actuated MZ interferometer) is also used to measure one of the device intrinsic properties (the operating temperature). The photonic‐on‐a‐chip example discussed here can be applied to sense temperature gradients with high resolution (10⁻³ ºC·µm⁻¹) in chip‐scale heat engines or refrigerators, magnetic nanocontacts and energy‐harvesting machines.     

大光腔小垂直发散角InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs半导体激光器

提出并实现了新型隧道再生耦合大光腔半导体激光器，近场光斑宽度达到1μm，较普通半导体激光器提高了一个数量级，有效地解决了普通半导体激光器由于发光面积狭窄而导致的端面灾变性毁坏和垂直发散角大的问题. 采用低压金属有机物化学气相沉积方法生长了以C和Si分别作为掺杂剂的AlGaAs隧道结、GaAs/InGaAs应变量子阱有源区和新型半导体激光器外延结构，并制备出器件，其垂直发散角为20°，阈值电流密度为277A/cm2，斜率效率在未镀膜时达到0.80W/A. 关键词： 半导体激光器 大光腔 隧道再生     

GaInAsP/InP double-heterostructure lasers for fiber odtic communications

Abstract

This paper reviews the performance of GaInAsP/InP double-heterostructure diode lasers prepared by liquid-phase epitaxy. These lasers have the advantage that exact lattice-matching between the GaIn-ASP active region and the InP substrate is possible for quaternary alloy compositions giving emission wavelengths over a range that includes 1.1–1.3 μm, the optimum region for optical communication systems utilizing fused silica fibers. Continuous operation at room temperature has been achieved in this region for proton-defined stripe (PDS), oxide-defined stripe (ODs), and junction-defined, buried-stripe (JDBS) lasers. The first three PDS devices to be life-tested have already logged over 6,000, 5,700, and 4,000 h, respectively, of cw operation at room temperature without any degradation.