Photonic engineering of surface‐emitting terahertz quantum cascade lasers

Various resonators for surface emission are reviewed that have recently been developed to improve radiative‐ and collection‐efficiencies of terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCL). While the fabrication of waveguides for long wavelengths is challenging in terms of molecular beam epitaxy, long wavelengths also provide a wonderful testbed for new photonics structure concepts, since these can be easily produced by conventional optical lithography because of the typically large size of the required features. This led to novel geometries, like one‐ and two‐dimensional non‐periodic photonic crystals, or circular gratings for microdisk‐ and ring‐lasers, which are all implemented by simply patterning the top metal cladding of a metal‐metal waveguide. The modeling of such resonators with the finite element method is also described, highlighting the importance of this tool for the engineering of surface losses and far‐field patterns.     

Room temperature operation of a deep etched buried heterostructure photonic crystal quantum cascade laser

High power single mode quantum cascade lasers with a narrow far field are important for several applications including surgery or military countermeasure. Existing technologies suffer from drawbacks such as operation temperature and scalability. In this paper we introduce a fabrication approach that potentially solves simultaneously these remaining limitations. We demonstrate and characterize deep etched, buried photonic crystal quantum cascade lasers emitting around a wavelength of 8.5 μm. The active region was dry etched before being regrown with semi‐insulating Fe:InP. This fabrication strategy results in a refractive index contrast of 10% allowing good photonic mode control, and simultaneously provides good thermal extraction during operation. Single mode emission with narrow far field pattern and peak powers up to 0.88 W at 263 K were recorded from the facet of the photonic crystal laser, and lasing operation was maintained up to room temperature. The lasing modes emitted from square photonic crystal mesas with a side length of 550μm, were identified as slow Bloch photonic crystal modes by means of three‐dimensional photonic simulations and measurements.

     

Fast-response terahertz wave switch based on T-shaped photonic crystal waveguide

We design an ultra-fast terahertz wave switch based on T-shape photonic crystal waveguide. The polymer rod is added in the junction as a point defect, the refractive index of which can be varied by adjusting the external pump laser intensity. The transmission spectrum is calculated by finite-difference time-domain method, which shows that the output energy of the two output ports is closely related to the refractive index of the polymer rod. By continuous wave excitation of the guided mode, the simulation results show that the T-shaped photonic crystal waveguide can flexibly tune the power in two output ports. The tuning rate of the device is about 0.3 ns. These results provide a useful guide and a theoretical basis for the developments of terahertz wave functional components.     

Vertical cavity surface emitting laser transverse mode and polarization control by elliptical holes photonic crystal

The polarization of traditional photonic crystal (PC) vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) is uncontrollable, resulting in the bit error increasing easily. Elliptical hole photonic crystal can control the transverse mode and polarization of VCSEL efficiently. We analyze the far field divergence angle, and birefringence of elliptical hole PC VCSEL. When the ratio of minor axis to major axis b/a=0.7, the PC VCSEL can obtain single mode and polarization. According to the simulation results, we fabricate the device successfully. The output power is 1.7 mW, the far field divergence angle is less than 10°, and the side mode suppression ratio is over 30 dB. The output power in the Y direction is 20 times that in the X direction.     

Vertical cavity surface emitting laser transverse mode and polarization control by elliptical hole photonic crystal

The polarization of traditional photonic crystal(PC) vertical cavity surface emitting laser(VCSEL) is uncontrollable,resulting in the bit error increasing easily.Elliptical hole photonic crystal can control the transverse mode and polarization of VCSEL efficiently.We analyze the far field divergence angle,and birefringence of elliptical hole PC VCSEL.When the ratio of minor axis to major axis b/a = 0.7,the PC VCSEL can obtain single mode and polarization.According to the simulation results,we fabricate the device successfully.The output power is 1.7 mW,the far field divergence angle is less than 10°,and the side mode suppression ratio is over 30 dB.The output power in the Y direction is 20 times that in the X direction.     

蓝紫光氮化镓光子晶体面射型激光器

设计、制作了蓝紫光氮化镓光子晶体面射型激光器结构,并测量其光学性质,探讨了光子晶体的晶格常数、边界形状及晶格种类对激光器特性的影响。激光器结构采用有机金属化学气相沉积法配合电子束光刻及感应耦合等离子体干蚀刻等技术制作。由角度解析光致发光系统测得绕射图案、激光发射光谱及发散角等光学性质。同时,使用平面波展开法及多重散射法计算光子晶体的能带结构与阈值增益。由实验结果得出,可由改变光子晶体的晶格常数达到调变激光器操作模态的目的。此外,光子晶体的边界形状对激光器波长及半高宽并无显著的影响,但圆形边界的阈值激发能量密度比六角形边界低0.3 mJ/cm²。另一方面,将六角晶格、四角晶格与蜂巢晶格的晶格种类进行比较,蜂巢晶格具有较小的激发能量密度（1.6 mJ/cm²）及发散角（1.3°）,而四角晶格的激发能量密度（3.8 mJ/cm²）及发散角（2.2°）为三者之中最大。多重散射法求得的阈值增益与实验结果相吻合,可视为快速有效设计光子晶体激光器结构的工具。本文研究成果对今后发展高功率蓝紫光氮化镓光子晶体面射型激光器具有指导意义。     

Room temperature all‐silicon photonic crystal nanocavity light emitting diode at sub‐bandgap wavelengths

Silicon is now firmly established as a high performance photonic material. Its only weakness is the lack of a native electrically driven light emitter that operates CW at room temperature, exhibits a narrow linewidth in the technologically important 1300–1600 nm wavelength window, is small and operates with low power consumption. Here, an electrically pumped all‐silicon nano light source around 1300–1600 nm range is demonstrated at room temperature. Using hydrogen plasma treatment, nano‐scale optically active defects are introduced into silicon, which then feed the photonic crystal nanocavity to enhance the electrically driven emission in a device via Purcell effect. A narrow ( nm) emission line at 1515 nm wavelength with a power density of is observed, which represents the highest spectral power density ever reported from any silicon emitter. A number of possible improvements are also discussed, that make this scheme a very promising light source for optical interconnects and other important silicon photonics applications.     

基于石墨烯的可调谐太赫兹光子晶体结构

本文将石墨烯引入到常规光子晶体中构建一种新型光子晶体, 首次从理论上严格导出了决定其能带结构的色散关系, 由于色散关系中石墨烯电导率的存在导致了它具有与常规光子晶体有所不同的特殊光学性质, 我们发现, 随着费米能增大, 低频段能带迅速向高频移动, 而高频段能带移动缓慢, 导致了常规光子晶体没有的能带压缩现象的发生, 究其原因在于石墨烯在低频段电导率迅速变化, 而高频段电导率变化缓慢, 导致能带向高频压缩, 使得光波原先允许频率变成禁止传播, 而禁止频率变成允许传播.     

Simplified modeling of frequency behavior in photonic crystal vertical cavity surface emitting laser with tunnel injection quantum dot in active region

In this work, the characteristics of the photonic crystal tunneling injection quantum dot vertical cavity surface emitting lasers(Ph C-TIQD-VCSEL) are studied through analyzing a modified modulation transfer function. The function is based on the rate equations describing the carrier dynamics at different energy levels of dot and injector well. Although the frequency modulation response component associated with carrier dynamics in wetting layer(WL) and at excited state(ES) levels of dots limits the total bandwidth in conventional QD-VCSEL, our study shows that it can be compensated for by electron tunneling from the injector well into the dot in TIQD structure. Carrier back tunneling time is one of the most important parameters, and by increment of that, the bias current dependence of the total bandwidth will be insignificant. It is proved that at high bias current, the limitation of the WL-ES level plays an important role in reducing the total bandwidth and results in rollovers on 3-d B bandwidth-I curves. In such a way, for smaller air hole diameter of photonic crystal, the effect of this reduction is stronger.     

多芯光子晶体光纤锁模激光器

实验研究了基于掺Yb多芯大模场面积光子晶体光纤的全正色散锁模激光器.增益光纤的18个纤芯呈六角阵列排布,等效的模场直径约为52 μm.激光器基于σ腔结构,腔内没有色散补偿元件,通过半导体可饱和吸收镜实现锁模的自启动.实验获得了平均功率为3.3 W,脉冲宽度为4.92 ps,重复频率为44.68 MHz的锁模脉冲输出,对应的单脉冲能量为74 nJ,脉冲经腔外光栅对压缩为780 fs. 关键词： 光子晶体光纤 多芯 光纤激光器 全正色散     

Tunable and switchable multi-wavelength Erbium-doped photonic crystal fiber ring laser incorporating a length of highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber

A tunable and switchable multi-wavelength Erbium-doped photonic crystal fiber ring laser incorporating a length of single-mode highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Stable dual-wavelength and triple-wavelength operations at room temperature are achieved by employing the highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber to induce four-wave mixing effect and a polarization controller to vary the polarization states of propagation lights in the laser cavity. The laser cavity is free from any wavelength selection components. The laser obtains maximal 30 dB signal-to-noise ratio and the peak power fluctuations of lasing lines are less than 1.39 dB.     

光子晶体垂直腔面发射激光器的电流分布研究

对氧化限制型外腔式光子晶体垂直腔面发射激光器注入到有源区的电流密度分布进行了分析研究.提出三维电流分布计算模型,研究了光子晶体结构对电流密度分布和器件串联电阻的影响.研究发现,光子晶体孔刻蚀深度越深,电流分布圆对称性越差,引起的串联电阻越大.不同光子晶体图案对电流分布的均匀性和圆对称性也有很大的影响.该模型对于研究、设计氧化限制型外腔式光子晶体垂直腔面发射激光器提供了一个有用的分析方法.     

高效光子晶体太赫兹滤波器的设计

提出了一种新型光子晶体太赫兹(THz)滤波器,该滤波器包括利用线缺陷实现的波导部分和利用微腔实现的频率选择部分.应用平面波法(PWM)分析其带隙结构,然后应用时域有限差分法(FDTD),研究THz波在此滤波器中的传输特性,结果表明,通过改变点缺陷的结构和增大某些介质柱的半径,可以使该滤波器实现高耦合效率的单信道单频率滤波. 关键词： 光子晶体 THz波 平面波法 时域有限差分法     

Ultra‐short and ultra‐intense X‐ray free‐electron laser single pulse in one‐dimensional photonic crystals

The propagation within a one‐dimensional photonic crystal of a single ultra‐short and ultra‐intense pulse delivered by an X‐ray free‐electron laser is analysed with the framework of the time‐dependent coupled‐wave theory in non‐linear media. It is shown that the reflection and the transmission of an ultra‐short pulse present a transient period conditioned by the extinction length and also the thickness of the structure for transmission. For ultra‐intense pulses, non‐linear effects are expected: they could give rise to numerous phenomena, bi‐stability, self‐induced transparency, gap solitons, switching, etc., which have been previously shown in the optical domain.     

Design of surface emitting distributed feedback quantum cascade laser with single-lobe far-field pattern and high outcoupling efficiency

A 7.8-$\mu $m surface emitting second-order distributed feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB QCL) structure with metallized surface grating is studied. The modal property of this structure is described by utilizing coupled-mode theory where the coupling coefficients are derived from exact Floquet--Bloch solutions of infinite periodic structure. Based on this theory, the influence of waveguide structure and grating topography as well as device length on the laser performance is numerically investigated. The optimized surface emitting second-order DFB QCL structure design exhibits a high surface outcoupling efficiency of 22{\%} and a low threshold gain of 10~cm$^{ - 1}$. Using a {$\pi $} phase-shift in the centre of the grating, a high-quality single-lobe far-field radiation pattern is obtained.     

Erbium-doped photonic crystal fiber laser with 49 mW

We have demonstrated a continuous-wave (CW) all fiber laser operation at 1558.4 nm of a diode-pumped erbium-doped PCF laser based on 9.6 m erbium-doped PCF. The maximum output power and the threshold of the fiber laser are 49.4 mW and 6.67 mW, respectively. We show that it is possible to achieve a high stability and beam quality laser, which has a great application potential in optical communication field in future.     

自由耦合输出的大模场面积光子晶体光纤锁模激光器

对一种基于高增益掺Yb³⁺大模场面积光子晶体光纤（PCF）的锁模激光器进行了简化线型腔结构的实验和理论研究.实验中直接使用塌陷打磨为0°角的光纤端面作为一端腔镜,利用其端面反馈获得了激光振荡,并进一步利用半导体可饱和吸收镜（SESAM）和光栅对的滤波作用实现了稳定的锁模运转.通过调节滤波程度,使激光器实现了从宽带滤波锁模到窄带滤波锁模的连续可调谐.在宽带滤波锁模的条件下,得到了最大平均输出功率2.2 W,单脉冲能量29.3 nJ,脉冲宽度367 fs的锁模脉冲输出;在窄带滤波锁模的条 关键词： 飞秒激光 光纤激光器 光子晶体光纤 大模场面积光纤     

Modeling of terahertz radiation emission from a free‐electron laser

In this article, we report the generation of terahertz (THz) radiation using the interaction of a laser‐modulated relativistic electron beam (REB) with a surface plasma wave. Two laser beams propagating through the modulator interact with the REB, leading to velocity modulation of the beam. This results in pre‐bunching of the REB. The pre‐bunched beam travels through the drift space, where the velocity modulation translates into density modulation. The density‐modulated beam, on interacting with the surface plasma pump wave, acquires an oscillatory velocity that couples with the modulated beam density to give rise to a nonlinear current density which acts as an antenna to give THz radiation. By optimizing the parameters of the beam and the wiggler, we obtain power of the order of 10⁻⁴ using the current scheme.     

Ultrafast photonic crystal lasers

We describe recent progress in photonic crystal nanocavity lasers with an emphasis on our recent results on ultrafast pulse generation. These lasers produce pulses on the picosecond scale, corresponding to only hundreds of optical cycles. We describe laser dynamics in optically pumped single cavities and in coupled cavity arrays, at low and room temperature. Such ultrafast, efficient, and compact lasers show great promise for applications in high‐speed communications, information processing, and on‐chip optical interconnects.