High-Performance Bound-to-Continuum Quantum-Cascade Lasers for Broad-Gain Applications
Authors:
- Emilio GiniEGEmilio Gini
- Lubos HvozdaraLHLubos Hvozdara
- Nicolas HoylerNHNicolas Hoyler
- Marcella GiovanniniMGMarcella Giovannini
- Jérôme FaistJFJérôme Faist
- 6 December 2007
- journal article
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics
- Vol. 44 (1) , 36-40
Abstract
Based on the bound-to-continuum active region design, we shall present a high performance continuous-wave (CW) quantum-cascade laser. In contrast to high performance lasers based on a two-phonon resonance transition and a narrow linewidth (< 165 cm-1), the device presented here exhibits a spontaneous emission full-width at half-maximum as large as 295 cm-1. Thus, such devices are very suitable for broadband tuning. At 30degC, it shows a maximum output power and slope efficiency of 188 mW and 500 mW/A, as well as a threshold current density of only 1.79 kA/cm2. Furthermore, at this temperature, the device demonstrates an internal differential quantum efficiency of 71% and a wall plug efficiency of 2.0%. The maximum CW operation temperature reached is 110degC. A thermal resistance of 4.3 K/W was attained by epi-down mounting on diamond submounts. The waveguide losses of 14 cm-1 are explained by intersubband absorption in addition to free-carrier absorption.Keywords
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