High-performance quantum cascade lasers in the 7.3- to 7.8-µm wavelength band using strained active regions

Richard P. Leavitt; John L. Bradshaw; Kevin M. Lascola; Gregory P. Meissner; Frankie Micalizzi; Fredrick J. Towner; John T. Pham

doi:10.1117/1.3498758

1 November 2010 High-performance quantum cascade lasers in the 7.3- to 7.8-µm wavelength band using strained active regions

Richard P. Leavitt, John L. Bradshaw, Kevin M. Lascola, Gregory P. Meissner, Frankie Micalizzi, Fredrick J. Towner, John T. Pham

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 49, Issue 11, 111109 (November 2010). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3498758

Abstract

We consider the use of strained quantum cascade (QC) laser designs in the 7.3- to 7.8-µm wavelength region to improve the cw operating characteristics of these lasers at room temperature. We compare the performance of a QC laser with a strain-balanced active region with that of two similarly designed QC lasers with lattice-matched active-region layers, and we show that the strain-balanced design significantly outperforms the unstrained-layer designs in terms of threshold-current density, power slope efficiency, and cw output power at room temperature. A epi-side-down-mounted, double-channel ridge-geometry laser that was fabricated from the strained design with a ridge width of 13 µm and a cavity length of 3 mm produced cw output power in excess of 500 mW at room temperature. The characteristic temperature T₀ for the strained-layer design as determined from pulsed measurements between 25 and 80^°C is 221.5 K, compared with a value of 194.0 K for one of the unstrained designs.

©(2010) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

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Richard P. Leavitt, John L. Bradshaw, Kevin M. Lascola, Gregory P. Meissner, Frankie Micalizzi, Fredrick J. Towner, and John T. Pham "High-performance quantum cascade lasers in the 7.3- to 7.8-µm wavelength band using strained active regions," Optical Engineering 49(11), 111109 (1 November 2010). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3498758

Published: 1 November 2010

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