A Compact Four-Wavelength Quantum-Cascade Laser Source

Author

Toor, Fatima ; Howard, Scott S. ; Sivco, Debroah L. ; Gmachl, Claire F.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ, USA

Volume

45

Issue

8

fYear

2009

Firstpage

914

Lastpage

919

Abstract

A four-wavelength quantum-cascade (QC) laser source that operates using a single current channel is presented. The source includes two different heterogeneous cascade QC lasers, one with emission wavelengths of 7.0 mum and 11.2 mum, and the other with 8.7 mum and 12.0 mum . For 3.0-mm and 3.5-mm cavity lengths, QC lasers with emission wavelengths of 8.7, 11.2, and 12.0 mum have threshold current densities within less than a factor of 2, which allows them to be conveniently driven in series by a single current source.

Keywords

current density; electro-optical effects; laser cavity resonators; quantum cascade lasers; four-wavelength quantum-cascade laser; laser cavity length; multiwavelength laser; single current channel threshold current density; size 3 mm; wavelength 11.2 mum; wavelength 12 mum; wavelength 3.5 mm; wavelength 7 mum; wavelength 8.7 mum; Chemical lasers; Gas lasers; Laser modes; Laser theory; Laser transitions; Optical design; Quantum cascade lasers; Quantum well lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Waveguide lasers; Mid-infrared; multiwavelength lasers; quantum-cascade (QC) laser; semiconductor lasers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JQE.2009.2014882

Filename

5153549