Interface Phonon Modes in Quantum Cascade Lasers

We investigate the interface phonon assisted transition in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum cascade lasers （QCLs） by using the transfer matrix method based on the dieIectric continuum model. EIectron eigenvalues and eigenstates are calculated by solving Schroedinger equation and the Poisson equation self-consistently. The AlAs-like and upper GaAs-like interface phonon modes contribute most of the scattering rate. Interface phonon modes couple strongly with electrons at E2, and the magnitude of scattering rate between E2 and E1 is much larger than that between E3 and El, which is helpful for the laser inversion between E3 and E2. The calculation can be easily applied to the design and simulation of QCLs.     

Quantum Cascade Lasers and Applications: State-of-the-Art and Prospects

We briefly review the studies devoted to development and applications of terahertz and multiterahertz quantum cascade lasers on intraband transitions in quantum wells of semiconductor heterostructures, which appeared in the last 5–7 years. Such lasers developed recently for the frequency band 3.5-70 THz find more and more applications in spectroscopy, communication, etc. We describe the first experiments performed at the Institute of the Physics of Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Sciences on studying the parameters of multiterahertz cascade lasers provided by our European colleagues.     

光栅耦合外谐振腔调谐的半导体量子级连激光器

本文研究了由InGaAs/InAlAs材料组成,波长为4.6和5.1微米的量子级连中红外半导体激光器的光栅外耦合谐振腔的特性。在温度是80K时波长可调制宽度是激光中心波长的1.5%左右。对于这两个激光器而言,它们的波长可调制宽度随温度升高而减低。被调制的单模激光器的输出光功率是几个毫瓦,激光的谱线宽度是1到2个微米。激光阈值电流随波长缓慢变化,然而激光输出效率在短波长时更加优化。     

基于量子级联激光器的红外光谱技术评述

量子级联激光器是一种新型的红外相干光源。利用量子理论与带隙工程,量子级联激光器可实现3 μm到100 μm波长范围内的任意输出波长。由于大多数气体分子的特征光谱都集中在中红外波段,而中红外量子级联激光器具有功率高、线宽窄、扫描速度快等独特的优点,因此,基于量子级联激光器的红外光谱技术已成为气体检测技术的研究热点。尤其是,近年来室温激光器性能得到不断的完善,输出功率和电光转换效率得到了极大的提高,这在很大程度上推动了红外激光光谱技术的迅速发展。本文根据工作原理,分别介绍了基于直接吸收谱检测、相位调制光谱检测、光声调制光谱检测和法拉第旋光效应光谱检测的量子级联激光器红外光谱检测技术,并对其实现方法和应用情况进行了介绍。     

Quantum effects in submillimetre hot hole semiconductor lasers

The hole dynamics and emission processes in degenerate band semiconductors in strong crossedE B fields were studied both theoretically and experimentally. The Luttinger effective mass Hamiltonian was used to study the Landau level energy spectrum in anisotropic valence bands of Ge. The dependence of the energy spectrum onE,H fields orientation is analysed. The role of quantum effects, such as interaction and mixing of light and heavy hole states in the scattering process and Landau level population is studied. The results of experimental studies of stimulated emission spectra for intersub-band and cyclotron transitions as well as their dependence onE,H field orientation are presented, the experimental data being in good agreement with the quantum model calculations.     

Unidirectionally Emitting Quantum Cascade Microcavity Lasers with Patterned Contacts

We investigate unidirectionally emitting quantum cascade microcavity lasers with semicircle-patterned top contacts. We employ novel patterned top contacts while fabricating notched ellipse-shaped cavity lasers. We study experimentally the microcavity-structure-based quantum cascade (QC) laser material with a long infrared wavelength of ~10 μm. Then we characterize microcavity lasers with patterned contacts and compare them with nonpatterned ones and observe a lower operating injection threshold current as a consequence of this relatively straightforward technique, with the unidirectional emission feature being kept. We obtain a maximum light output peak power of 16 mW with unidirectional emission at a far-field divergence angle of ~7° at a full width of half maximum, while the patterned device shows low threshold even in the microcavity laser with a size of 150 μm. Furthermore, we also carry out a reliability test of the QC microcavity lasers with semicircle-patterned top contacts, and the testing results show no sudden failure or severe light-output-power drop during an operating time of thousand hours.     

High-Power and Low-Threshold-Current-Density GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Cascade Lasers

We report on the realization of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum cascade lasers with an emission wavelength of 9.1 μm above the liquid nitrogen temperature. With optimal current injection window and ridge width of 24 and 60μm respectively, a peak output power more than 500mW is achieved in pulsed mode operation. A low threshold current density Jth = 2.6 kA/cm^2 gives the devices good lasing characteristics. In a drive frequency of i kHz, the laser operates up to 20% duty cycle.     

面向脉冲量子级联激光器气体检测的锁相放大器

为了在基于脉冲式中红外量子级联激光器的气体检测系统中,精确提取窄脉冲传感信号的幅度,设计并实现了一种微秒级窄脉冲锁相放大器.根据微秒级窄脉冲的特点,窄脉冲信号经过窄带通滤波电路,得到基频正弦波信号,再经过主放大、移相、相敏检波电路,得到与脉冲幅值有关的直流信号.利用信号发生器产生的幅度、频率、相位可调的窄脉冲待测信号,对锁相放大器进行功能验证实验.结果表明,锁相放大器输出直流信号与输入信号的幅度呈良好的线性关系,线性拟合度约为98.043%;信号幅值的相对测量误差不超过3%;在1 h的测试时间内,信号波动范围在1‰以内.利用配备的不同浓度的一氧化碳样品及研制的锁相放大器,开展了一氧化碳气体检测实验.在0~180 ppm范围内,随着一氧化碳浓度的增加,锁相放大器的输出电压值与一氧化碳浓度呈现良好的e指数关系.根据A11an方差预测的系统检测下限为0.4123ppm.与商用锁相放大器相比,该放大器具有体积小、成本低、易于集成等特点,在基于脉冲式中红外量子级联激光器的气体检测中具有较好的应用前景.     

Nonlinear dynamics of doped semiconductor quantum dot lasers

We discuss the influence of wetting layer doping on the turn-on dynamics of a quantum dot (QD) laser by using a microscopically based rate equation model which separately treats the dynamics of electrons and holes. As the carrier-carrier scattering rates depend nonlinearly on the wetting layer carrier densities we observe drastic changes of relaxation oscillation frequency and damping if the wetting layer is doped. We gain insight into the nonlinear dynamics of the QD laser by a detailed analysis of various sections of the five-dimensional phase space focusing on changes in the coupling between QD electron and holes dynamics.     

Quantum mechanical theory of fluctuations and relaxation in semiconductor lasers

Pumping, spontaneous emission and electron-electron scattering lead to relaxation terms in the mean equations of motion for the electron system. These terms are derived from a quantum mechanical basis by second order perturbation theory and by appropriate reservoir averaging. If the electron distribution is not too strongly degenerate, then a relaxation time approximation can be derived. The quantum mechanical Langevin method is used to include noise. The correlation functions of all fluctuation operators are calculated. From the knowledge of the equations of motion and of the correlation functions it is possible to calculate the noise properties of the laser light and of the junction current, as will be shown in other publications.     

Spectral Dynamics of Quantum Cascade Lasers Generating Frequency Combs in the Long-Wavelength Infrared Range

Technical Physics - We have studied the spectral and dynamic characteristics of quantum cascade lasers emitting in the long-wavelength infrared range. It is shown that lasers with a short cavity...     

Two-photon lasers based on intersubband transitions in semiconductor quantum wells

We propose to make a two-photon laser based on intersubband (sublevel) transitions in semiconductor nanostructures. The advantages and feasibility of such a two-photon laser are analyzed in detail using the density matrix approach. Both one-photon and two-photon gains in a three subband quantum well structure are studied on the same footing to show how the two-photon gain can be maximized, while the competing one-photon gain is minimized. The results show that a sufficient two-photon gain can be achieved to overcome one-photon competition and the loss of a conventional semiconductor cavity, making intersubband transitions one of the very few feasible approaches to two-photon lasing.     

影响AlGaN/GaN量子级联激光器性能的因素研究

在已有理论基础之上,采用严格的计算方法对激光器实现太赫兹(THz)波的辐射进行了可能性分析。利用传递矩阵法,通过Matlab软件计算了基于AlGaN/GaN材料体系的三能级量子级联激光器导带子能级与电子波函数的分布,详细分析了由该材料特有的极化效应所产生的极化场,得出了在近共振条件下偶极跃迁元、外加电场、垒层Al组分及导带子能级能级差之间的关系,并研究了它们对激光器性能的影响。分析结果表明,实现受激辐射的条件非常严格,Al组分取0.15或0.16时较为适宜,同时外加电场需大于63kV/cm,但不能过大,这样才能满足近共振条件,实现粒子数反转达到太赫兹量子级联激射。在Al组分为0.15,外加电场为69.0kV/cm时激光器的偶极跃迁元最大,表明跃迁几率也最大,对激光器的性能有利,可以为量子级联激光器构造较好的有源区。     

Low Threshold Distributed Feedback Quantum Cascade Lasers with Widely Spaced Emission Wavelengths

We report lasing properties of distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers （DFB QCLs） including a doublephonon-resonance active region, at wavelength of about 8.4 μm. A broad gain spectrum is generated due to the coupling between the lower laser level in the active region and the levels in the injector, and is demonstrated by the lasing spectrum of the corresponding Fabry-Perot QCLs whose width is 0.5 μm at 1.5 times of the threshold current. As a result, the DFB QCLs employing different grating periods exhibit a wavelength span of 0.18μm at room temperature and total wavelength coverage of 0.28μm at various heat sink temperatures. A high side mode suppression ratio of about 30dB and a low threshold current density of 1.78kA/cm^2 are achieved as the lasers operate at room temperature in pulsed mode.     

The Self-Heating Effect of Quantum Cascade Lasers Based on a Spectroscopic Method

We investigate the self-heating effect of mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers by using a direct-based pulse injecting current and spectroscopy method. Based on the characterization system, the thermal characteristics of gas source MBE grown 8.4μm InP-based GalnAs/AIInAs DFB-QCLs are evaluated. The method and characterization system are also useful in evaluating the thermal characteristics of other types of mid-infrared diode lasers.     

Thermal Analysis of InAs/AlSb Short Wavelength Mid-IR Quantum Cascade Lasers

We present the effects of hetero-interfaces and major key parameters on the thermal behaviors and performance of short wavelength mid-IR InAs/AlSb quantum cascade lasers （QCLs）. We use a finite element method （FEM） with commercial software, ANSYS, to simulate the heat dissipation in QCLs in cw operation mode with an epilayer-down mounting package. The thermal performance is characterized by the temperature increase AT （self-heating effect） between the active region of QCLs and the heatsink. Results show that （1） the self-heating effects of InAs/AlSb QCLs are much less than those in AlInAs/GaInAs Q, CLs, （2） narrower ridges lead to significantly cooler active regions of InAs/AlSb QCLs due to poor heat transport in the cross-plane direction （across interfaces） and that most of the heat flows out of the active region in the lateral direction, and （3） the cavity length of the laser has little influence on the self-beating effect of the device, but the long cavity reduces mirror loss and threshold current density.     

复合双外腔半导体激光器的量子噪声

本文用半经典理论给出了复合双外腔半导体激光器的量子噪声谱.     

Probe absorption via two orthogonal standing-wave lasers in a semiconductor quantum well

We investigate the two-dimensional (2D) probe absorption spectrum in a four-subband semiconductor quantum-well system driven by two orthogonal standing-wave lasers. It is found that the spatial distribution of 2D probe absorption spectrum can be significantly improved via adjusting the system parameters. The scheme shows the underlying probability for the formation of the 2D electron localization in a solid.     

Control of dynamical instability in semiconductor quantum nanostructures diode lasers: Role of phase-amplitude coupling

We numerically investigate the complex nonlinear dynamics for two independently coupled laser systems consisting of (i) mutually delay-coupled edge emitting diode lasers and (ii) injection-locked quantum nanostructures lasers. A comparative study in dependence on the dynamical role of α parameter, which determine the phase-amplitude coupling of the optical field, in both the cases is probed. The variation of α lead to conspicuous changes in the dynamics of both the systems, which are characterized and investigated as a function of optical injection strength η for the fixed coupled-cavity delay time τ. Our analysis is based on the observation that the cross-correlation and bifurcation measures unveil the signature of enhancement of amplitude-death islands in which the coupled lasers mutually stay in stable phase-locked states. In addition, we provide a qualitative understanding of the physical mechanisms underlying the observed dynamical behavior and its dependence on α. The amplitude death and the existence of multiple amplitude death islands could be implemented for applications including diode lasers stabilization.