Frequency Noise and Linewidth of Mid-infrared Continuous- Wave Quantum Cascade Lasers: An Overview

Schilt, Stéphane; Tombez, Lionel; Domenico, G. Di; Hofstetter, Daniel

doi:10.1117/3.1002245.ch12

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…QCLs usually exhibit near-zero LBFs, leading to narrow intrinsic linewidth in the range of 0.1-1.0 kHz [21][22][23]. However, the latter flicker noise arising from the current source, the thermal fluctuation, and the internal electrical noise considerably broadens the total spectral linewidth of QCLs to the sub-MHz or MHz range [24][25][26]. In order to narrow the spectral linewidth of QCLs, a large variety of frequency stabilization schemes have been proposed, including electronic feedback to the current source [27], locking to an optical cavity [28], phase locking to a narrow-linewidth laser source [29], as well as the popular optical injection locking to an optical frequency comb [30,31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rate equation modeling of the frequency noise and the intrinsic spectral linewidth in quantum cascade lasers

Wang

Grillot

2018

Opt. Express

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This work theoretically investigates the frequency noise (FN) characteristics of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) through a three-level rate equation model, which takes into account both the carrier noise and the spontaneous emission noise through the Langevin approach. It is found that the power spectral density of the FN exhibits a broad peak due to the carrier noise induced carrier variation in the upper laser level, which is enhanced by the stimulated emission process. The peak amplitude is strongly dependent on the gain stage number and the linewidth broadening factor. In addition, an analytical formula of the intrinsic spectral linewidth of QCLs is derived based on the FN analysis. It is demonstrated that the laser linewidth can be narrowed by reducing the gain coefficient and/or accelerating the carrier scattering rates of the upper and the lower laser levels.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rate equation modeling of the frequency noise and the intrinsic spectral linewidth in quantum cascade lasers

Wang

Grillot

2018

Opt. Express

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“…The reduction of the technical noise gave us a stability which is comparable to the product of the linewidths of the two DFB QC lasers, reported to be 1 MHz each in the literature. [23] Finally, we remark that if we could integrate on a 1 Hz bandwidth, we can extrapolate a theoretical NEP at 0.7V of ~10 -18 W at 300K.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…To this end we have minimized all the external sources of noise that compromise lasers stability: most importantly i) fluctuations of the lasers temperature, ii) the noise from the lasers current generator and iii) the optical feedback. [23] Temperature was controlled by mounting the DFB lasers on Peltier cooler elements stabilized to the mK, while current noise was minimized by using two low noise homemade current drivers (100 pA Hz -1/2 ). [24] Optical feedback was also reduced by employing an Innovation Photonics MIR isolator based on a Faraday rotator principle.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixing Properties of Room Temperature Patch‐Antenna Receivers in a Mid‐Infrared (λ ≈ 9 µm) Heterodyne System

Bigioli

Gacemi

Palaferri

et al. 2019

Laser & Photonics Reviews

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A room‐temperature mid‐infrared (λ = 9 µm) heterodyne system based on high‐performance unipolar optoelectronic devices is presented. The local oscillator (LO) is a quantum cascade laser (QCL), while the receiver is an antenna coupled quantum well infrared photodetector optimized to operate in a microcavity configuration. Measurements of the saturation intensity show that these receivers have a linear response up to very high optical power, an essential feature for heterodyne detection. By providing an accurate passive stabilization of the LO, the heterodyne system reaches at room temperature the record value of noise equivalent power (NEP) of 30 pW at 9 µm and in the GHz frequency range. Finally, it is demonstrated that the injection of microwave signal into the receivers shifts the heterodyne beating over the large bandwidth of the devices. This mixing property is a unique valuable function of these devices for signal treatment in compact QCL‐based systems.

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“…In this operating condition, the typical FWHM is 0.16 cm -1 with a current pulse duration of 50ns and a repetition rate at 100 kHz. The FWHM is in particular affected by self-heating phenomenon that broadens the linewidth (FWHM of a free running QCL is between 1MHz-10MHz in CW mode with an efficient thermal drain) [23]. Other technical noises of the set-up results also in a spectral broadening, and the self-heating contribution cannot be properly quantified with our current set-up.…”

Section: Electro Optic Characterizationsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Volume Fabrication of Quantum Cascade Lasers on 200 mm-CMOS pilot line

Coutard

Brun

Fournier

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The manufacturing cost of quantum cascade lasers is still a major bottleneck for the adoption of this technology for chemical sensing. The integration of Mid-Infrared sources on Si substrate based on CMOS technology paves the way for high-volume low-cost fabrication. Furthermore, the use of Si-based fabrication platform opens the way to the co-integration of QCL Mid-InfraRed sources with SiGe-based waveguides, allowing realization of optical sensors fully integrated on planar substrate. We report here the fabrication and the characterization of DFB-QCL sources using top metal grating approach working at 7.4 µm fully implemented on our 200 mm CMOS pilot line. These QCL featured threshold current density of 2.5 kA/cm² and a linewidth of 0.16 cm -1 with a high fabrication yield. This approach paves the way toward a Mid-IR spectrometer at the silicon chip level.

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Frequency Noise and Linewidth of Mid-infrared Continuous- Wave Quantum Cascade Lasers: An Overview

Cited by 7 publications

References 58 publications

Rate equation modeling of the frequency noise and the intrinsic spectral linewidth in quantum cascade lasers

Rate equation modeling of the frequency noise and the intrinsic spectral linewidth in quantum cascade lasers

Mixing Properties of Room Temperature Patch‐Antenna Receivers in a Mid‐Infrared (λ ≈ 9 µm) Heterodyne System

Volume Fabrication of Quantum Cascade Lasers on 200 mm-CMOS pilot line

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