Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser Source Based on Intra-Cavity Difference-Frequency Generation

Author

Belkin, Mikhail A. ; Capasso, Federico ; Belyanin, Alexey ; Sivco, Deborah L.

Author_Institution

Harvard Univ., Cambridge

fYear

2007

fDate

17-22 June 2007

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

1

Abstract

This paper aims to integrate AlInAs/InGaAs quantum well structures with high second-order nonlinear susceptibility into a dual-wavelength quantum cascade laser (QCL) for difference frequency generation (DFG) of THz radiation. The QCL active region contains two sections: a section with 30 cascades of bound-to-continuum design with integrated optical nonlinearity emitting at 8.7 mum and a section with 20 cascades of two-phonon design emitting at 7.6 mum. The nonlinear susceptibility for the DFG process is found to have a value of chi⁽²⁾~4times10⁵ pm/V.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; integrated optics; laser cavity resonators; nonlinear optical susceptibility; optical frequency conversion; quantum cascade lasers; semiconductor quantum wells; AlInAs-InGaAs; bound-to-continuum design; dual-wavelength quantum cascade laser; integrated optical nonlinearity; intracavity difference-frequency generation; quantum well structures; second-order nonlinear susceptibility; terahertz quantum cascade laser source; two-phonon design; wavelength 7.6 mum; wavelength 8.7 mum; Epitaxial growth; Indium phosphide; Molecular beam epitaxial growth; Nonlinear optics; Optical pumping; Optical waveguides; Quantum cascade lasers; Stimulated emission; Submillimeter wave technology; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Lasers and Electro-Optics, 2007 and the International Quantum Electronics Conference. CLEOE-IQEC 2007. European Conference on

Conference_Location

Munich

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-0931-0

Electronic_ISBN

978-1-4244-0931-0

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/CLEOE-IQEC.2007.4385936

Filename

4385936