Heterodyne Mixing of Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers Using a Planar Schottky Diode

Author

Lee, Mark ; Wanke, Michael C. ; Lerttamrab, Maytee ; Young, Erik W. ; Grine, Albert D. ; Reno, John L. ; Siegel, Peter H. ; Dengler, Robert J.

Author_Institution

Sandia Nat. Labs., Albuquerque

Volume

14

Issue

2

fYear

2008

Firstpage

370

Lastpage

373

Abstract

Terahertz quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) have been used together with a monolithic planar Schottky diode receiver to study the heterodyne mixing between dual internal modes of a QCL and between a single mode of a QCL and a known molecular line from a molecular gas laser. Dual-mode mixing shows that the intrinsic linewidth of a free-running QCL is les30 kHz . Mixing against a molecular laser line gives a high precision measurement of a QCL´s absolute frequency and can show transient turn-on behavior in a pulsed QCL.

Keywords

Schottky diodes; quantum cascade lasers; dual internal modes; dual-mode mixing; heterodyne mixing; molecular gas laser; molecular laser line; molecular line; monolithic planar Schottky diode receiver; terahertz quantum cascade lasers; transient turn-on behavior; Frequency; Gas lasers; Laboratories; Laser modes; Pulse measurements; Quantum cascade lasers; Schottky diodes; Solid state circuits; Superconducting device noise; Temperature; Heterodyne mixing; Schottky diode; quantum cascade laser (QCL); terahertz (THz);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1077-260X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JSTQE.2007.910762

Filename

4481120