Mid-infrared lasers fabricated from III–V compound semiconductors

Considerable progress has been made in research on mid-infrared semiconductor lasers in terms of their maximum operating temperature and output power. Antimonide-based quantum-well lasers have exhibited continuous wave operation at 2.0 μm up to 400 K, at 2.7 μm to 234 K, at 3.5 μm to 175 K, and at 3.9 μm to 128 K. Diode lasers utilizing type-II transitions have exhibited lasing between 3 μm and 4 μm. Optically pumped lasers emitting at 4 μm have yielded peak power of 2.7 W and average power of 470 mW at 55K. Quantum cascade lasers have operated continuous wave at 4.6 μm up to 85 K, and at 7.8 μm to 110 K.