Measurements of optical losses in mid-infrared semiconductor lasers using Fabry–Pérot transmission oscillations

Revin, D. G.; Wilson, L. R.; Carder, D.A.; Cockburn, J. W.; Steer, M. J.; Hopkinson, M.; Airey, R.; Garcia, Michel; Sirtori, Carlo; Rouillard, Y.; Barate, D.; Vicet, A.

doi:10.1063/1.1738523

Cited by 19 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(8 reference statements)

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“…From these values of G M and the threshold current density J th we can obtain an estimate of the waveguide loss coefficient, α w . From the relationship J th =(α w + α M ) / G M , where α M = -ln(R)/L is the mirror loss and R~0.3 is the facet reflectivity, we obtain α w ≈ 12 ± 2 cm -1 , consistent with typical values of α w ≈ 10 cm -1 obtained for similar ridges using a Fabry Perot resonance technique [7]. Similar measurements of the e3-34 amplification peak from the λ ~10.0 µm sample produced values for the gain coefficient and waveguide loss of G M = 28 ± 3 cm/kA and α w ≈ 18 ± 2 cm -1 respectively ( Figure 6).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 85%

Probing the electronic and optical properties of quantum cascade lasers under operating conditions

et al. 2006

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We report the realisation of spectroscopic broadband transmission experiments on quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) under continuous wave operating conditions for drive currents up to laser threshold. This technique allows, for the first time, spectroscopic study of light transmission through the waveguide of QCLs in a very broad spectral range (λ~1.5-12 µm), limited only by the detector response and by interband absorption in the materials used in the QCL cladding regions. Waveguide transmittance spectra have been studied for both TE and TM polarization, for InGaAs/InAlAs/InP QCLs with different active region designs emitting at 7.4 and 10µm. The transmission measurements clearly show the depopulation of the lower laser levels as bias is increased, the onset and growth of optical amplification at the energy corresponding to the laser transitions as current is increased towards threshold, and the thermal filling of the second laser level and decrease of material gain at high temperatures. This technique also allows direct determination of key parameters such as the exact temperature of the laser core region under operating conditions, as well as the modal gain and waveguide loss coefficients.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 85%

Probing the electronic and optical properties of quantum cascade lasers under operating conditions

et al. 2006

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“…The most common method to measure the optical losses of a QCL is based on the analysis of the Fabry-Pérot ͑FP͒ fringe contrast. 4,5 This method relies on the detection of the changes of the transmitted intensity of either an external optical source or internal. The latter is the well known Hakki-Paoli technique, which has been already exploited to measure the gain of QC lasers.…”

Section: Measurement Of Gain and Losses Of A Midinfrared Quantum Cascmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of gain and losses of a midinfrared quantum cascade laser by wavelength chirping spectroscopy

Benveniste

Laurent

Vasanelli

et al. 2009

Applied Physics Letters

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We present an optimized technique for the measurement of gain and losses of semiconductor lasers. We optically inject the beam of a distributed feedback laser (DFB) inside the cavity of the lasers under study. The DFB laser operates in a pulsed mode and shifts its emission wavelength as a function of time. This frequency chirp creates the Fabry–Pérot fringes of the transmitted intensity that contains all the information on the cavity losses. The setup has been validated by a quantitative study of the losses as a function of the injected current, for a quantum cascade laser emitting at 7.6 μm.

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“…This results in the losses on the telecom mode to be increased, and they have been experimentally evaluated to be ∼13 cm −1 through transmission measurements. 23 As the InGaAs band gap will be smaller in energy than the first interband transitions of the quantum wells, the pump and the generated sideband will be significantly absorbed in the InGaAs cladding layers. Further, these layers do not contribute to the second-order nonlinear process due the lack of an asymmetry in the potential profile.…”

Section: ■ Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although both MIR and telecom modes are guided in the AR owing to the low InP index, the telecom mode has an overlap with the InGaAs cladding layers owing to the larger telecom refractive index than that in the AR. This results in the losses on the telecom mode to be increased, and they have been experimentally evaluated to be ∼13 cm –1 through transmission measurements . As the InGaAs band gap will be smaller in energy than the first interband transitions of the quantum wells, the pump and the generated sideband will be significantly absorbed in the InGaAs cladding layers.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-Terahertz Sideband Generation on an Optical Telecom Carrier with a Quantum Cascade Laser

et al. 2018

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Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are the principal semiconductor light sources for the mid-infrared (MIR) and terahertz (THz) spectral regions. However, up-converting their emission to the technologically mature telecom spectral region (1.3 to 1.6 μm) remains an important goal for applications. This would permit new QCL functionalities to be realized, such as stabilization and injection locking of the QCL emission to precise and low-cost telecom frequency combs for spectroscopy. In this work, we demonstrate the up-conversion of the QCL emission to the telecom band at room temperature, using the QCLs’ inherent resonant optical nonlinearities that reduce the constraints of phase matching. This is based on the generation of multi-THz sidebands on a telecom carrier, where a low power telecom beam at 1.55 μm is injected into the cavity of an InP-based MIR QCL (9 μm, 33 THz), giving rise to the nonlinear sum frequency at 1.3 μm. The results are supported by a theoretical model that highlights the giant enhancement of the nonlinear interaction through the resonant telecom excitation and the reduced role of phase matching. As well as potentially bringing important spectroscopic capabilities to QCLs, this compact and low-power all-optical connection between the low-loss transmission windows of 1.3 and 1.55 μm would potentially permit QCLs to be applied as ultrafast wavelength shifters in fiber telecommunication networks.

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Measurements of optical losses in mid-infrared semiconductor lasers using Fabry–Pérot transmission oscillations

Abstract: Articles you may be interested inLoss mechanisms of quantum cascade lasers operating close to optical phonon frequencies

Cited by 19 publications

References 13 publications

Probing the electronic and optical properties of quantum cascade lasers under operating conditions

Probing the electronic and optical properties of quantum cascade lasers under operating conditions

Measurement of gain and losses of a midinfrared quantum cascade laser by wavelength chirping spectroscopy

Multi-Terahertz Sideband Generation on an Optical Telecom Carrier with a Quantum Cascade Laser

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