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.     

太赫兹波段金属阵列结构的透射及反射宽谱偏振特性

基于计算机仿真技术(CST)软件对二维金属光栅阵列在0.1~10THz波段的偏振特性进行了数值分析,利用光刻和金属薄膜工艺在500μm厚的高阻硅衬底上沉积了20nm厚的不同结构周期的金属铜光栅阵列,利用傅里叶变换光谱仪测量了该光栅阵列的透射及反射特性。结果表明:在太赫兹宽谱范围内,该光栅阵列的透射和反射都具有良好的偏振特性,且偏振特性范围可通过调整结构周期进行调节;该研究对太赫兹偏振器的进一步研究及应用提供了参考。     

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.     

Real-time video signal transmission over a terahertz communication link

A 2.4-m communication link operating at 3.9 THz based on a terahertz quantum cascade laser and a terahertz quantum well photodetector （THz QWP） are introduced. The lumped electrical models of THz QWP for small signals are presented. A discussion of the bandwidth limit of the detecting circuit is presented. Using direct on off-keying modulation and intensity detection, the transmission of digital video signal with a data rate of 2.5 Mb/s is demonstrated. Pseudo-random binary sequences are transmitted to investigate the bit-error rate （BER） at different rates. Result shows the error free transmission when the rate is below 5 Mb/s.     

共振声子太赫兹量子级联激光器研究

本文综述了共振声子太赫兹(THz)量子级联激光器(QCL)载流子输运及其光电特性的研究结果。我们采用Monte Carlo方法模拟了不同有源区结构的共振声子THz QCL,如四阱有源区和三阱有源区结构等,优化了THz QCL的器件参数。计算表明,器件的增益依赖于注入势垒的宽度、掺杂浓度和声子抽运能级间隔等参数。单阱注入的THz QCL可以获得低的激射频率,而三阱有源区结构的THz QCL具有更高的工作温度。我们数值模拟了这两种器件结构在不同寄生电压下的电子输运、增益以及温度特性等。同时,我们实验测量了THz QCL的发射谱偏压和温度效应,计算结果与实验相吻合。研究结果表明,随着偏压增加发射谱出现了明显的频率蓝移,多模激射仅出现在大电流注入情形。与偏压的密切依赖关系不同,激射频率对温度的变化并不敏感。     

半绝缘等离子体波导太赫兹量子级联激光器工艺研究

采用气态源分子束外延设备生长了GaAs/AlGaAs束缚态到连续态跃迁结构的太赫兹（THz）量子级联激光器（QCL）有源区结构,研究了半绝缘等离子体波导THz QCL的器件工艺,采用远红外傅里叶变换光谱仪以及探测器测量了器件的电光特性.器件激射频率为32 THz,10 K下的阈值电流密度为275 A/cm². 关键词： 太赫兹 量子级联激光器 波导 器件工艺     

光伏型太赫兹量子阱探测器研究进展

光伏型太赫兹量子阱探测器(PV-THzQWIP)是光伏型量子阱光电探测器(PV-QWIP)在THz波段的扩展,它具有功耗低、暗电流小、噪声水平低以及焦平面阵列(FPAs)热分辨率高等优点,是THz频段技术应用的重要器件之一.文章主要介绍了PV-THzQWIP的工作原理、特点、理论设计及其研究进展.     

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     

Simulation of Confined and Interface Phonons Scattering in Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser

We have performed the calculation of resonant-phonon transition in a terahertz quantum cascade laser. The electron wavefunctions and energy levels are obtained by solving the Schroedinger and Poisson equations selfconsistently. The scattering rates of the confined, interface, and bulk phonons are calculated by using the Fermi golden rule. It has been shown that the confined phonon scattering is comparable to the interface phonon scattering and should be taken into consideration in the calculation.     

Wireless terahertz light transmission based on digitally-modulated terahertz quantum-cascade laser

A wireless terahertz digital transmission link is demonstrated, in which a quantum-cascade laser and a spectrally-matched quantum-well photodetector serve as the emitter and receiver, respectively. An on-off modulation scheme is used. By directly amplitude modulating the laser emitting at 4.13 THz, a 1.0-Mbps pseudorandom signal is transmitted over a distance of 2.2 m.