Gain competition in dual wavelength quantum cascade lasers

doi:10.1364/OE.18.009900

Gain competition in dual wavelength quantum cascade lasers

Markus Geiser, Christian Pflügl, Alexey Belyanin, Qi Jie Wang, Nanfang Yu, Tadanaka Edamura, Masamichi Yamanishi, Hirofumi Kan, Milan Fischer, Andreas Wittmann, Jérôme Faist, and Federico Capasso »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 18, Issue 10, pp. 9900-9908 (2010)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.009900

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Abstract
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Abstract

We investigated dual wavelength mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers based on heterogeneous cascades. We found that due to gain competition laser action tends to start in higher order lateral modes. The mid-infrared mode with the lower threshold current reduces population inversion for the second laser with the higher threshold current due to stimulated emission. We developed a rate equation model to quantitatively describe mode interactions due to mutual gain depletion.

OCIS Codes
(140.3070) Lasers and laser optics : Infrared and far-infrared lasers
(230.5590) Optical devices : Quantum-well, -wire and -dot devices
(140.5965) Lasers and laser optics : Semiconductor lasers, quantum cascade

ToC Category:
Lasers and Laser Optics

History
Original Manuscript: January 19, 2010
Revised Manuscript: March 25, 2010
Manuscript Accepted: April 1, 2010
Published: April 27, 2010

Citation
Markus Geiser, Christian Pflügl, Alexey Belyanin, Qi Jie Wang, Nanfang Yu, Tadanaka Edamura, Masamichi Yamanishi, Hirofumi Kan, Milan Fischer, Andreas Wittmann, Jérôme Faist, and Federico Capasso, "Gain competition in dual wavelength quantum cascade lasers," Opt. Express 18, 9900-9908 (2010)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-18-10-9900

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References

J. Faist, F. Capasso, D. L. Sivco, C. Sirtori, A. L. Hutchinson, and A. Y. Cho, “Quantum cascade laser,” Science 264(5158), 553–556 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
S. Y. Zhang, D. G. Revin, J. W. Cockburn, K. Kennedy, A. B. Krysa, and M. Hopkinson, “λ–3.1µm room temperature InGaAs/AlAsSb/InP quantum cascade lasers,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 94(3), 031106 (2009). [CrossRef]
M. Rochat, D. Hofstetter, M. Beck, and J. Faist, “Long-wavelength (λ~16 µm), room-temperature, single-frequency quantum-cascade lasers based on a bound-to-continuum transition,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 79(26), 4271 (2001). [CrossRef]
A. Lyakh, C. Pflügl, L. Diehl, Q. J. Wang, F. Capasso, X. J. Wang, J. Y. Fan, T. Tanbun-Ek, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, and C. Kumar N. Patel, “1.6 W high wall plug efficiency, continuous-wave room temperature quantum cascade laser emitting at 4.6 µm,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 111110 (2008). [CrossRef]
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, C. Pflügl, L. Diehl, Q. J. Wang, F. Capasso, and C. K. N. Patel, “3 Watt continuous-wave room temperature single-facet emission from quantum cascade lasers based on non-resonant extraction design approach,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95(14), 141113 (2009). [CrossRef]
R. Maulini, A. Lyakh, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, C. Pflügl, L. Diehl, F. Capasso, and C. K. N. Patel, “High power thermoelectrically-cooled and uncooled quantum cascade lasers with optimized reflectivity facet coatings,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95(15), 151112 (2009). [CrossRef]
Y. Bai, S. Slivken, S. R. Darvish, and M. Razeghi, “Room temperature continuous wave operation of quantum cascade lasers with 12.5% wall plug efficiency,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(2), 021103 (2008). [CrossRef]
C. Gmachl, D. L. Sivco, J. N. Baillargeon, A. L. Hutchinson, F. Capasso, and A. Y. Cho, “Quantum cascade lasers with a heterogeneous cascade: two-wavelength operation,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 79(5), 572 (2001). [CrossRef]
R. Maulini, A. Mohan, M. Giovannini, J. Faist, and E. Gini, “External cavity quantum-cascade laser tunable from 8.2 to 10.4 µm using a gain element with a heterogeneous cascade,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 88(20), 201113 (2006). [CrossRef]
A. Hugi, R. Terazzi, Y. Bonetti, A. Wittmann, M. Fischer, M. Beck, J. Faist, and E. Gini, “External cavity quantum cascade laser tunable from 7.6 to 11.4 µm,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95(6), 061103 (2009). [CrossRef]
E. Rosencher, A. Fiore, B. Vinter, V. Berger, Ph. Bois, and J. Nagle, “Quantum engineering of optical nonlinearities,” Science 271(5246), 168–173 (1996). [CrossRef]
C. Sirtori, F. Capasso, J. Faist, L. N. Pfeiffer, and K. W. West, “Far-infrared generation by doubly resonant difference frequency mixing in a coupled quantum well two-dimensional electron gas system,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 65(4), 445 (1994). [CrossRef]
N. Owschimikow, C. Gmachl, A. Belyanin, V. Kocharovsky, D. L. Sivco, R. Colombelli, F. Capasso, and A. Y. Cho, “Resonant second-order nonlinear optical processes in quantum cascade lasers,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 90(4), 043902 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. Austerer, C. Pflügl, S. Golka, W. Schrenk, A. M. Andrews, T. Roch, and G. Strasser, “Coherent 5.35 µm surface emission from a GaAs-based distributed feedback quantum-cascade laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 88(12), 121104 (2006). [CrossRef]
M. A. Belkin, F. Capasso, A. Belyanin, D. L. Sivco, A. Y. Cho, D. C. Oakley, C. J. Vineis, and G. W. Turner, “Terahertz quantum-cascade-laser source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation,” Nat. Photonics 1(5), 288–292 (2007). [CrossRef]
M. A. Belkin, F. Capasso, F. Xie, A. Belyanin, M. Fischer, A. Wittmann, and J. Faist, “Room temperature terahertz quantum cascade laser source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92(20), 201101 (2008). [CrossRef]
C. Pflügl, M. A. Belkin, Q. J. Wang, M. Geiser, A. Belyanin, M. Fischer, A. Wittmann, J. Faist, and F. Capasso, “Surface-emitting terahertz quantum cascade laser source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(16), 161110 (2008). [CrossRef]
J. Faist, D. Hofstetter, M. Beck, T. Aellen, M. Rochat, and S. Blaser, “Bound-to-continuum and two-phonon resonance quantum-cascade lasers for high duty cycle, high-temperature operation,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 38(6), 533–546 (2002). [CrossRef]
A. Belyanin, M. Troccoli, and F. Capasso, “Raman Injection and Inversionless Intersubband Lasers” in Intersubband Transitions in Quantum Structures, R. Paiella (McGraw-Hill Companies, 2006), chapter 6.3.5.

Aellen, T.
Andrews, A. M.
Austerer, M.
Bai, Y.
Baillargeon, J. N.
Beck, M.
Belkin, M. A.
Belyanin, A.
Berger, V.
Blaser, S.
Bois, Ph.
Bonetti, Y.
Capasso, F.
Cho, A. Y.
Cockburn, J. W.
Colombelli, R.
Darvish, S. R.
Diehl, L.
Faist, J.
Fan, J. Y.
Fiore, A.
Fischer, M.
Geiser, M.
Gini, E.
Giovannini, M.
Gmachl, C.
Go, R.
Golka, S.
Hofstetter, D.
Hopkinson, M.
Hugi, A.
Hutchinson, A. L.
Kennedy, K.
Kocharovsky, V.
Krysa, A. B.
Kumar N. Patel, C.
Lyakh, A.
Maulini, R.
Mohan, A.
Nagle, J.
Oakley, D. C.
Owschimikow, N.
Patel, C. K. N.
Pfeiffer, L. N.
Pflügl, C.
Razeghi, M.
Revin, D. G.
Roch, T.
Rochat, M.
Rosencher, E.
Schrenk, W.
Sirtori, C.
Sivco, D. L.
Slivken, S.
Strasser, G.
Tanbun-Ek, T.
Terazzi, R.
Tsekoun, A.
Turner, G. W.
Vineis, C. J.
Vinter, B.
Wang, Q. J.
Wang, X. J.
West, K. W.
Wittmann, A.
Xie, F.
Zhang, S. Y.

Appl. Phys. Lett.

S. Y. Zhang, D. G. Revin, J. W. Cockburn, K. Kennedy, A. B. Krysa, and M. Hopkinson, “λ–3.1µm room temperature InGaAs/AlAsSb/InP quantum cascade lasers,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 94(3), 031106 (2009). [CrossRef]
M. Rochat, D. Hofstetter, M. Beck, and J. Faist, “Long-wavelength (λ~16 µm), room-temperature, single-frequency quantum-cascade lasers based on a bound-to-continuum transition,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 79(26), 4271 (2001). [CrossRef]
A. Lyakh, C. Pflügl, L. Diehl, Q. J. Wang, F. Capasso, X. J. Wang, J. Y. Fan, T. Tanbun-Ek, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, and C. Kumar N. Patel, “1.6 W high wall plug efficiency, continuous-wave room temperature quantum cascade laser emitting at 4.6 µm,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 111110 (2008). [CrossRef]
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, C. Pflügl, L. Diehl, Q. J. Wang, F. Capasso, and C. K. N. Patel, “3 Watt continuous-wave room temperature single-facet emission from quantum cascade lasers based on non-resonant extraction design approach,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95(14), 141113 (2009). [CrossRef]
R. Maulini, A. Lyakh, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, C. Pflügl, L. Diehl, F. Capasso, and C. K. N. Patel, “High power thermoelectrically-cooled and uncooled quantum cascade lasers with optimized reflectivity facet coatings,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95(15), 151112 (2009). [CrossRef]
Y. Bai, S. Slivken, S. R. Darvish, and M. Razeghi, “Room temperature continuous wave operation of quantum cascade lasers with 12.5% wall plug efficiency,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(2), 021103 (2008). [CrossRef]
C. Gmachl, D. L. Sivco, J. N. Baillargeon, A. L. Hutchinson, F. Capasso, and A. Y. Cho, “Quantum cascade lasers with a heterogeneous cascade: two-wavelength operation,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 79(5), 572 (2001). [CrossRef]
R. Maulini, A. Mohan, M. Giovannini, J. Faist, and E. Gini, “External cavity quantum-cascade laser tunable from 8.2 to 10.4 µm using a gain element with a heterogeneous cascade,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 88(20), 201113 (2006). [CrossRef]
A. Hugi, R. Terazzi, Y. Bonetti, A. Wittmann, M. Fischer, M. Beck, J. Faist, and E. Gini, “External cavity quantum cascade laser tunable from 7.6 to 11.4 µm,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95(6), 061103 (2009). [CrossRef]
C. Sirtori, F. Capasso, J. Faist, L. N. Pfeiffer, and K. W. West, “Far-infrared generation by doubly resonant difference frequency mixing in a coupled quantum well two-dimensional electron gas system,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 65(4), 445 (1994). [CrossRef]
M. Austerer, C. Pflügl, S. Golka, W. Schrenk, A. M. Andrews, T. Roch, and G. Strasser, “Coherent 5.35 µm surface emission from a GaAs-based distributed feedback quantum-cascade laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 88(12), 121104 (2006). [CrossRef]
M. A. Belkin, F. Capasso, F. Xie, A. Belyanin, M. Fischer, A. Wittmann, and J. Faist, “Room temperature terahertz quantum cascade laser source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92(20), 201101 (2008). [CrossRef]
C. Pflügl, M. A. Belkin, Q. J. Wang, M. Geiser, A. Belyanin, M. Fischer, A. Wittmann, J. Faist, and F. Capasso, “Surface-emitting terahertz quantum cascade laser source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(16), 161110 (2008). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

J. Faist, D. Hofstetter, M. Beck, T. Aellen, M. Rochat, and S. Blaser, “Bound-to-continuum and two-phonon resonance quantum-cascade lasers for high duty cycle, high-temperature operation,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 38(6), 533–546 (2002). [CrossRef]

Nat. Photonics

M. A. Belkin, F. Capasso, A. Belyanin, D. L. Sivco, A. Y. Cho, D. C. Oakley, C. J. Vineis, and G. W. Turner, “Terahertz quantum-cascade-laser source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation,” Nat. Photonics 1(5), 288–292 (2007). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

N. Owschimikow, C. Gmachl, A. Belyanin, V. Kocharovsky, D. L. Sivco, R. Colombelli, F. Capasso, and A. Y. Cho, “Resonant second-order nonlinear optical processes in quantum cascade lasers,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 90(4), 043902 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Science

E. Rosencher, A. Fiore, B. Vinter, V. Berger, Ph. Bois, and J. Nagle, “Quantum engineering of optical nonlinearities,” Science 271(5246), 168–173 (1996). [CrossRef]
J. Faist, F. Capasso, D. L. Sivco, C. Sirtori, A. L. Hutchinson, and A. Y. Cho, “Quantum cascade laser,” Science 264(5158), 553–556 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

A. Belyanin, M. Troccoli, and F. Capasso, “Raman Injection and Inversionless Intersubband Lasers” in Intersubband Transitions in Quantum Structures, R. Paiella (McGraw-Hill Companies, 2006), chapter 6.3.5.

2009, Zhang, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2009, Lyakh, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2009, Maulini, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2009, Hugi, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2008, Belkin, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2008, Pflügl, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2008, Bai, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2008, Lyakh, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2007, Belkin, Nat. Photonics
2006, Austerer, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2006, Maulini, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2003, Owschimikow, Phys. Rev. Lett.
2002, Faist, IEEE J. Quantum Electron.
2001, Rochat, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2001, Gmachl, Appl. Phys. Lett.
1996, Rosencher, Science
1994, Sirtori, Appl. Phys. Lett.
1994, Faist, Science

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