Room-Temperature GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Cascade Lasers Grown by Metal–Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

Abstract

We demonstrate m GaAs/Al Ga As quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) operating up to 320 K. Metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy has been used throughout for the growth of the devices. Detailed comparison has been carried out for the QCLs with various waveguides and grown on (100) GaAs substrates with different miscut angles towards (111)A. Introduction of InGaP cladding layers into the optical waveguide significantly improves the QCL performance due to a better optical confinement and lower waveguide losses compared with the GaAs-based waveguide. A 20-m-wide 4-mm-long device with high reflectivity coating on the laser back facet demonstrates room-temperature pulsed output power of 220 mW and a lowered threshold current density of 6.5 kA/cm . Index Terms-Midinfrared quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), optical waveguide.

Mid-IR quantum cascade lasers: Device technology and non-equilibrium Green's function modeling of electro-optical characteristics

“…The peak powers recorded in 77 K were over 4 W (25–35 mW at 300 K), and the slope efficiency η ≈ 0.5–0.6 W/A per uncoated facet (∼1 W/A for lasers with metallic back mirror coating) . These results are comparable with the state of the art GaAs/AlGaAs devices of similar design produced in other laboratories .…”

High performance GaAs/AlGaAs quantum cascade lasers: optimization of electrical and thermal properties

“…The peak powers recorded in 77K were over 4 W (25 mW -35 mW at 300 K), and the slope efficiency η≈0.5-0.6 W/A per uncoated facet (~1 W/A for lasers with metallic back mirror coating). These results are comparable with the state of the art GaAs/AlGaAs devices of similar design produced in other laboratories 17,18 . The lasers have been successfully used in prototype ammonia detection system working in ppb range.…”

Quantum cascade laser based on GaAs/Al0.45Ga0.55As heteropair grown by MOCVD

“…QCLs were obtained by a similar method only in [8,14]. The lasers operated in a pulsed regime (1 ms, 170 Hz) at liquid nitrogen temperature.…”

“…Laser heterostructures based on the same heteropair were also grown by MOCVD in [7]; to improve optical confinement in QCLs, the authors of [8] used cladding layers of In 0.49 Ga 0.51 P solid solution [8].…”