Short pulse generation and dispersion in THz quantum cascade lasers

The use of fundamental modelocking to generate short terahertz (THz) pulses and THz frequency combs from semiconductor lasers has become a routine affair, using quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) as a gain medium. Here, using time-resolved THz techniques, we show the first of demonstration harmonic injection and mode- locking in which THz QCLs are modulated at the harmonics of the round-trip frequency. This generates multiple THz pulses per round trip in both active and self-starting harmonic regimes. This behaviour is supported by time-resolved Maxwell-Bloch simulations of induced gain and loss in the system. This work exploits the inherent ultrafast dynamics of QCLs and opens up new avenues in THz pulse generation.

The study of quantum cascade lasers (QCL) in the terahertz frequency region by the use of THz time-domain spectroscopy has gained a lot of interest within the last few years [1]. Good physical insight was obtained for THz QCLs employing a single plasmon waveguide (surface plasmon waveguide) [2,3]. In comparison to that the double plasmon or metal-metal waveguide QCL uses a metal/semiconductor/metal structure as a waveguide. THz QCLs with this type of waveguide are showing the highest operating temperatures so far [4]. The metal-metal THz QCLs confine the whole mode in the active region of subwavelength size. In order to investigate metal-metal THz QCLs by THz pulses an efficient method of THz pulse launching needs to be employed. Several methods for coupling of free space THz pulses into the subwavelength waveguide, such as horn antenna, gratings or lenses can be used. A further method is a waveguide emitter [5,6] which benefits from the near infrared excitation beam focus which is much smaller than the corresponding THz focus.

Quantum cascade (QC) lasers opens new prospects for powerful sources operating at THz frequencies. Up to now the best THz QC lasers are based on intersubband emission in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well (QW) heterostructures. The maximum operating temperature is 200 K, which is too low for wide-spread applications. This is due to the rather low LO-phonon energy (36 meV) of GaAs-based materials. Indeed, thermal activation allows non-radiative path through electron-phonon interaction which destroys the population inversion. Wide band gap materials such as ZnO have been predicted to provide much higher operating temperatures because of the high value of their LO-phonon energy. However, despite some observations of intersubband absorption in c-plane ZnO/ZnMgO quantum wells, little is known on the fundamental parameters such as the conduction band offset in such heterostructures. In addition the internal field inherent to c-plane grown heterostuctures is an handicap for the design of QC lasers and detectors. In this talk, we will review a systematic investigation of ZnO/ZnMgO QW heterostructures with various Mg content and QW thicknesses grown by plasma molecular beam epitaxy on low-defect m-plane ZnO substrates. We will show that most samples exhibit TM-polarized intersubband absorption at room temperature linked either to bound-to-quasi bound inter-miniband absorption or to bound-to bound intersubband absorption depending on the Mg content of the barrier material. This systematic study allows for the first time to estimate the conduction band offset of ZnO/ZnMgO heterostructures, opening prospects for the design of QC devices operating at THz frequencies. This was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement #665107.

Feedback from a diode mixer integrated into a 2.8 THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) was used to phase lock the difference frequencies (DFs) among the Fabry-Perot (F-P) longitudinal modes of a QCL. Approximately 40% of the DF power was phase locked, consistent with feedback loop bandwidth of 10 kHz and phase noise bandwidth ~0.5 MHz. While the locked DF signal has ≤ 1 Hz linewidth and negligible drift over ~30 min, mixing measurements between two QCLs and between a QCL and molecular gas laser show that the common mode frequency stability is no better than a free-running QCL.

Nonlinear optical responses of α-Fe2O3 nanosheets and application as a saturable absorber in the wide near-infrared region

Terahertz quantum cascade (QC) lasers are well suited for the exploration of active metamaterial concepts in the terahertz frequency range. Terahertz composite right/left handed (CRLH) transmission line metamaterials can be integrated with quantum cascade laser gainmaterial in order to compensate for losses, and enable laser waveguides with new functionality. In particular, we consider the use of metamaterial transmission lines as travelling wave antennas. After presenting the characteristics of a 2.5 THz quantum-cascade laser, calculated radiation characteristics and beam patterns for a leaky-wave antenna based upon a balanced 1D CRLH transmission line waveguide are shown.

Coupling of broadband terahertz pulses into metal-metal terahertz quantum cascade lasers is presented. Mode matched terahertz transients are generated on the quantum cascade laser facet of subwavelength dimension. This method provides a full overlap of optical mode and active laser medium. A longitudinal optical-phonon depletion based active region design is investigated in a coupled cavity configuration. Modulation experiments reveal spectral gain and (broadband) losses. The observed gain shows high dynamic behavior when switching from loss to gain around threshold and is clamped at total laser losses.

We present an investigation into the vertical transport through 13 different superlattice structures, where the well and barrier widths, doping concentration, dopant position, and contact layers were varied. Although superlattices have been extensively studied since 1970, there is a lack of publications on transport through superlattices similarly low doped as THz quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), for which the doping is in the $3--5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{10}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ range. The superlattices presented are doped in the same range as THz QCLs, with contact layers and fabrication comparable to high-temperature THz QCLs. The temperature-dependent current-voltage characteristics were measured starting from 5 K and an anomalous temperature effect was observed at the first plateau. The measured current through the superlattice first decreases before increasing again with increasing temperature, resulting in the lowest current occurring at 75--110 K. This behavior is also observed in some THz QCLs. The effect disappears for thinner barriers, higher quantum well doping, or modified contact layers, indicating a strong dependency on band bending, due to the large difference in the doping of the contact layers and the superlattice, which is confirmed with multiscattering B\"uttiker simulations.

We investigated and demonstrated bio-medical imaging using a THz quantum cascade laser. With the THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) at 3.8 THz, we obtained large dynamic range and high spatial resolution in the transmission imaging technique. The various tissues images, such as lung, liver, and brain sections from the laboratory mouse were obtained and studied. The most important factor for this imaging scheme is to obtain high contrast with different absorption characteristics in tissues. We explored distinct images from the fat, muscles and tendon from the freshly cut tissues and investigated absorption coefficient and compared with FTIR measurement. We also demonstrated the image of distinct region of tumors progressed and normal tissues using this technique. The comparison of frequency dependent medical imaging with utilizing different wavelength of QCLs has been addressed.

Generation of short optical pulses in semiconductor lasers is of practical interest for an increasing number of applications. It is also of fundamental interest because of its tight relation with the field of semiconductor laser dynamics. After an introductory review, we compare the performances of gain-switching, Q-switching and mode-locking techniques. The comparison is illustrated by experimental results as well as by laser modelling, some of which are new. A special emphasis is given on the aspects of phase modulation in the semiconductor laser medium. Finally, we discuss some perspectives for further developments.

We report for the first time on the generation of short optical pulses based on passive mode locking of photonic band crystal lasers. Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility and attractiveness of this technique for the generation of picosecond, high-power, high-brightness pulses in the GHz range.

The characterization of wave propagation on a two-dimensional switch line, i.e., a transmission line periodically loaded with electronic switches (the switch is open for voltages greater than a fixed threshold and closed otherwise), is discussed for the generation of short electrical pulses. It is found that a pulse on a switch line experiences significant width shortening during propagation, and that a two-dimensional switch line produces shorter pulses than a one-dimensional switch line, such that the bandwidth of the resulting short pulse in two dimensions is nearly √2 times as wide as that in one dimension. In this paper, we discuss the properties of hybrid waves in two dimensions, including their dependence on line parameters and propagation orientation. In addition, numerical calculations using a resonant tunneling diode as a switch that verify the line properties and demonstrate pulse shortening are presented.

The technological solutions and optical configurations employed to tune the emission frequency of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) operating in the Terahertz range are reviewed. The gain spectrum of THz QCLs can be engineered by quantum design to be broadband over a range even larger than 1 THz, or, alternatively, to be electrically tunable, for instance exploiting the Stark shift of the lasing transition. Fabry-Perot lasers can then display very ample multimode spectra, but wide, though discontinuous and unpredictable, tunability through mode hopping can also be achieved. For reliable and repeatable single-mode tuning, QCL emitters based on external cavities can be realized using either a movable mirror to control the cavity length or a rotating grating for wavelength dependent feedback. First-order and second-order distributed feedback (DFB) THz QCLs also provide stable single-mode emission, whose frequency can be tuned by temperature and current, though usually on a more limited range of only a few GHz. It has been recently shown, however, that second-order THz DFB lasers can be coupled to an external microcavity, exploiting the anti-crossing of the respective eigenfrequencies to achieve wider tuning ranges by mechanically changing the size of the external microcavity. As an alternative, if fabricated in a narrow (~λ/3) ridge configuration, double-metal THz DFB lasers represent an ideal device where to manipulate the lateral size of the lasing mode via electro-mechanical components. In this way, a new and robust method for wide and continuous tuning of the laser emission has been recently demonstrated, displaying a record large bandwidth of over 330 GHz.

Gold rectangular waveguides suitable for single mode operation at frequencies near 3 THz have been micromachined using silicon microfabrication methods. The design, fabrication, and loss characteristics of these waveguides will be presented. On-chip integration of these waveguide structures with THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) sources has been achieved and the characteristics of QCL beams guided by waveguide will be discussed.

Narrowband terahertz (THz) radiation is crucial for high-resolution spectral identification, but a narrowband THz source driven by a femtosecond (fs) laser has remained scarce. Here, it is computationally predicted that a metal/dielectric/magnetoelastic heterostructure enables converting a fs laser pulse into a multicycle THz pulse with a narrow linewidth down to ∼1.5 GHz, which is in contrast to the single-cycle, broadband THz pulse from the existing fs-laser-excited emitters. It is shown that such narrowband THz pulse originates from the excitation and long-distance transport of THz spin waves in the magnetoelastic film, which can be enabled by a short strain pulse obtained from fs laser irradiation of the metal film when the thicknesses of the metal and magnetoelastic films both fall into a specific range. These results therefore reveal an approach to achieving optical generation of narrowband THz pulse based on heterostructure design, which also has implications in the design of THz magnonic devices.