Predictable surface emission patterns in terahertz photonic-crystal quantum cascade lasers.

We demonstrate a framework to understand and predict the far-field emission in terahertz frequency photonic-crystal quantum cascade lasers. The devices, which employ a high-performance three-well active region, are lithographically tunable and emit in the 104-120 microm wavelength range. A peak output power of 7 mW in pulsed mode is obtained at 10 K, and the typical device maximum operating temperature is 136 K. We identify the photonic-crystal band-edge states involved in the lasing process as originating from the hexapole and monopole modes at the G point of the photonic band structure, as designed. The theoretical far-field patterns, obtained via finite-difference time-domain simulations, are in excellent agreement with experiment. Polarization measurements further support the theory, and the role of the bonding wires in the emission process is elucidated.

• Publication year

  2009

• Venue

  Optics Express

• Publication date

  2009-06-08

• Fields of study

  Materials Science, Physics, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1364/OE.17.009491PMID 19506596
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• Finite-difference time-domain simulations reproduce the measured far-field patterns, and polarization measurements together with the bonding-wire analysis support the emission model.

  Confidence 0.93

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• The lasing band-edge states originate from the hexapole and monopole modes at the Gamma point of the photonic band structure.

  Confidence 0.96

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• Pulsed peak output power reaches 7 mW at 10 K, and the maximum operating temperature is 136 K.

  Confidence 0.95

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• Photonic-crystal quantum cascade lasers with a high-performance three-well active region are lithographically tunable and emit across the 104-120 micrometer range.

  Confidence 0.97

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review

• bonding wires

  components

  Electrical wire bonds attached to the device and considered in the emission analysis.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• far-field emission

  phenomenon

  The angular radiation emitted by the laser into the distant field and measured as an emission pattern.

  Aliases: far-field patterns

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• finite-difference time-domain simulation

  simulation methods

  A numerical electromagnetic method used to calculate time-domain field evolution and radiation patterns.

  Aliases: FDTD simulations

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• gamma point

  point

  The Brillouin-zone center where the in-plane wavevector is zero.

  Aliases: G point

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• hexapole mode

  mode

  A photonic-crystal mode with a six-lobed field symmetry.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• lithographic tuning

  method

  Adjustment of device properties through lithographically defined geometric patterning.

  Aliases: lithographically tunable

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• monopole mode

  mode

  A photonic-crystal mode with a single-lobed, approximately symmetric field profile.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• photonic-crystal quantum cascade laser

  device

  A quantum cascade laser that uses a photonic-crystal pattern to influence optical modes and surface emission.

  Aliases: quantum cascade lasers

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review
• three-well active region

  component

  A three-quantum-well semiconductor active region design used to generate gain in the laser.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewAK (4715169a40) review

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