Catastrophic Degradation in High-Power Buried Heterostructure Quantum Cascade Lasers

Sin, Yongkun; Lingley, Zachary; Brodie, Miles; Knipfer, B.; Sigler, C.; Boyle, C.; Kirch, Jeremy; Oresick, K.; Kim, H.; Botez, D.; Mawst, Luke J.; Lindberg, D.; Earles, T.

doi:10.1364/cleo_si.2019.sw3n.3

Cited by 2 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Facet failures in QCL appear to be directly related to thermal shear stress [9], resulting from the large temperature gradient between the core region and the heatsink, at the laser facet, when operated at high CW drive currents or when heat management is inadequate. In contrast to what is observed in strained QW lasers, where the CMDaffected area typically displays a blister on the front facet, the damaged area of QCLs is significantly extended into the InP substrate [9,67]. An SEM image after CMD is shown in Fig.…”

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…14, indicated a large void is present [67]. TEM failure analysis on devices that exhibited CMD, reveal that dislocations are not confined within the active layer, but propagate into the substrate [67]. This observation is in marked contrast to what is observed in degraded diode lasers.…”

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…An SEM image after CMD is shown in Fig. 14, indicated a large void is present [67]. TEM failure analysis on devices that exhibited CMD, reveal that dislocations are not confined within the active layer, but propagate into the substrate [67].…”

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…13, since indium creep leads to device shorting. A few studies of high power QCL lasers indicate that the reliability limitations are associated with Catastrophic Mirror Damage (CMD) occurring at the facets [9,[65][66][67]. Facet failures in QCL appear to be directly related to thermal shear stress [9], resulting from the large temperature gradient between the core region and the heatsink, at the laser facet, when operated at high CW drive currents or when heat management is inadequate.…”

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…14. SEM image showing the damaged area on the QCL front facet after catastrophic mirror damage [67].…”

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High-Power Mid-Infrared (λ∼3-6 μm) Quantum Cascade Lasers

Mawst

Botez

2022

IEEE Photonics J.

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The performances of mid-infrared (IR) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are now reaching a maturity level that enables a variety of applications which require compact laser sources capable of watt-range output powers with high beam quality. We review the fundamental design issues and current performance limitations, focusing on InGaAs/AlInAs/InP QCLs with emission in the 3-6 m wavelength range. Metamorphic materials broaden the available compositions for accessing short emission wavelengths (≤3.5 m) or for integration with GaAs-and Si-photonics platforms. Conductionband engineering through the use of varying compositions throughout the active-region structure has been utilized to achieve the highest performance levels to date. Interface roughness scattering plays a dominant role in determining both the lower-laser-level lifetime as well as the carrier-leakage current. Numerous approaches have been implemented in attempts to control, scale, and stabilize the spatial mode to high output powers. Of all approaches photonic-crystal structures with high built-in index contrast, thus capable of maintaining modal properties under strong self-heating, are the most promising device configuration for achieving single-spatial-mode, single-lobe reliable CW operation to multiwattrange power levels. Such devices have demonstrated to date > 5W front-facet output powers with diffraction-limited beams in shortpulse operation.

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Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…14. SEM image showing the damaged area on the QCL front facet after catastrophic mirror damage [67].…”

Section: Reliability and Failures Modesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High-Power Mid-Infrared (λ∼3-6 μm) Quantum Cascade Lasers

Mawst

Botez

2022

IEEE Photonics J.

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Catastrophic failure of the back facet in watt-level power long wavelength infrared quantum cascade laser

Yin¹,

Zhang²,

Guo³

et al. 2022

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) suffer from catastrophic failure caused by serious self-heating, thus limiting their output power and working stability. In this study, we observed a distinctive failure morphology on the back facet of watt-level power QCL emitting at λ～7.7µm. The failure was caused by a massive localized current and the channel of the massive current can be observed in the cavity. Because the massive current significantly increased temperature nearby, two burned holes were formed around the channel. A 3D thermal model shows that the back facet is a vulnerable location for failure because light absorption by the high-reflectance (HR) metal coating increases the facet temperature significantly. However, the starting point of the massive current has a certain distance from the facet which is the hottest location in the cavity. Therefore, we conduct a hypothesis that the cause of the massive current is thermal strain relaxations induced by temperature gradient. We calculated the positions of the relaxation points and one of them correspond with the failure starting point found experimentally. The strain relaxation damaged the active region, thus leading to the formation of the massive current.

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Catastrophic Degradation in High-Power Buried Heterostructure Quantum Cascade Lasers

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

High-Power Mid-Infrared (λ∼3-6 μm) Quantum Cascade Lasers

High-Power Mid-Infrared (λ∼3-6 μm) Quantum Cascade Lasers

Catastrophic failure of the back facet in watt-level power long wavelength infrared quantum cascade laser

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