TY - GEN
T1 - High power, electrically tunable quantum cascade lasers
AU - Slivken, Steven
AU - Razeghi, Manijeh
N1 - Funding Information:
This work is partially supported by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (grant HSHQDC-13-C-00034), National Science Foundation (grants ECCS-1505409 and ECCS-1306397), Naval Air Systems Command (grant N68936-13-C-0124), and an Early Stage Innovations grant from NASA's Space Technology Research Grants Program (grant NNX13AT10G). The authors would like to acknowledge the encouragement and support of all the involved program managers.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 SPIE.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Mid-infrared laser sources (3-14 μm wavelengths) which have wide spectral coverage and high output power are attractive for many applications. This spectral range contains unique absorption fingerprints of most molecules, including toxins, explosives, and nerve agents. Infrared spectroscopy can also be used to detect important biomarkers, which can be used for medical diagnostics by means of breath analysis. The challenge is to produce a broadband midinfrared source which is small, lightweight, robust, and inexpensive. We are currently investigating monolithic solutions using quantum cascade lasers. A wide gain bandwidth is not sufficient to make an ideal spectroscopy source. Single mode output with rapid tuning is desirable. For dynamic wavelength selection, our group is developing multi-section laser geometries with wide electrical tuning (hundreds of cm-1). These devices are roughly the same size as a traditional quantum cascade lasers, but tuning is accomplished without any external optical components. When combined with suitable amplifiers, these lasers are capable of multi-Watt single mode output powers. This manuscript will describe our current research efforts and the potential for high performance, broadband electrical tuning with the quantum cascade laser.
AB - Mid-infrared laser sources (3-14 μm wavelengths) which have wide spectral coverage and high output power are attractive for many applications. This spectral range contains unique absorption fingerprints of most molecules, including toxins, explosives, and nerve agents. Infrared spectroscopy can also be used to detect important biomarkers, which can be used for medical diagnostics by means of breath analysis. The challenge is to produce a broadband midinfrared source which is small, lightweight, robust, and inexpensive. We are currently investigating monolithic solutions using quantum cascade lasers. A wide gain bandwidth is not sufficient to make an ideal spectroscopy source. Single mode output with rapid tuning is desirable. For dynamic wavelength selection, our group is developing multi-section laser geometries with wide electrical tuning (hundreds of cm-1). These devices are roughly the same size as a traditional quantum cascade lasers, but tuning is accomplished without any external optical components. When combined with suitable amplifiers, these lasers are capable of multi-Watt single mode output powers. This manuscript will describe our current research efforts and the potential for high performance, broadband electrical tuning with the quantum cascade laser.
KW - monolithic tunable laser
KW - quantum cascade laser
KW - sampled grating
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U2 - 10.1117/12.2216304
DO - 10.1117/12.2216304
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84986888462
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
BT - Quantum Sensing and Nano Electronics and Photonics XIII
A2 - Brown, Gail J.
A2 - Razeghi, Manijeh
A2 - Lewis, Jay S.
PB - SPIE
T2 - Quantum Sensing and Nano Electronics and Photonics XIII
Y2 - 14 February 2016 through 18 February 2016
ER -