High-performance, widely tunable, single-mode, mid-infrared distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers

Summary form only given. Quantum cascade (QC) lasers are a new type of semiconductor laser for the mid-infrared based on electronic intersubband transitions. Because of their high power output and above room temperature (RT) operation, QC lasers are prime candidates for laser-based portable and stand-alone environmental monitoring systems. For gas spectroscopy the lasers have to operate with stable single-mode emission and controlled tunability. We here present the first cw QC-distributed feedback (DFB) lasers operating in both atmospheric windows at 5.3 /spl mu/m and 8.5 /spl mu/m, as well as dramatic performance improvements in pulsed QC-DFB lasers using an index-coupled grating.