Review
Quantum Science & Technology
Miriam Serena Vitiello, Paolo De Natale
Summary: Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) demonstrate the generation of artificial materials with tailor-made properties through quantum design, featuring intrinsic linewidths near the quantum limit and spontaneous phase-locking. Operating at terahertz frequencies, QCLs show important technological performances and have promising future prospects in the field of quantum technologies.
ADVANCED QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Miriam S. Vitiello, Luigi Consolino, Massimo Inguscio, Paolo De Natale
Summary: QCL is the most powerful chip-scale source of optical frequency combs, allowing mode proliferation with large quantum efficiencies. THz QCL FCs have promising applications in various fields due to their high quantum efficiency and ease of integration.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qi Yang, Jicheng Zhang, Xuemin Wang, Zhiqiang Zhan, Tao Jiang, Jia Li, Ruijiao Zou, Keyu Li, Fengwei Chen, Weidong Wu
Summary: This work presents a dual ridge terahertz quantum cascade laser lasing at 3.1 THz and analyzes its performance in detail. The experimental results provide a reference for realizing high-power terahertz quantum cascade lasers and offer guidance for the structural design of multiple ridges or laser arrays.
Article
Physics, Applied
Nathalie Lander Gower, Shiran Levy, Silvia Piperno, Sadhvikas J. Addamane, John L. Reno, Asaf Albo
Summary: We conducted an experimental study on a new design for a terahertz quantum cascade laser (THz QCL) that combines two-well injector and direct-phonon scattering schemes. This design improves the performance of the lasers by using a direct phonon scattering scheme for depopulating the lower laser level and reducing the overlap with the doped region. The design also achieves efficient isolation of active laser levels and shows potential for higher operating temperatures than the current records.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paolo Micheletti, Urban Senica, Andres Forrer, Sara Cibella, Guido Torrioli, Martin Frankie, Mattias Beck, Giacomo Scalari, J'rome Faist
Summary: Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) offer an intriguing opportunity for generating on-chip optical dissipative Kerr solitons (DKS). Recent observations of DKS in mid-infrared ring QCLs have paved the way for achieving DKS at longer wavelengths. Terahertz ring QCLs with anomalous dispersion were realized using a waveguide planarization technology platform. A concentric coupled waveguide approach was implemented for dispersion compensation, while a passive broadband bullseye antenna improved power extraction and far field. The presence of solitons was confirmed through hysteric behavior, phase difference measurements, and intensity time profile reconstruction, which matched well with numerical simulations based on the Complex Ginzburg-Landau Equation (CGLE).
Article
Optics
Yuan-Yuan Li, Fang-Yuan Zhao, Yu Ma, Wei-Jiang Li, Jun-Qi Liu, Feng-Qi Liu, Jun-Wei Luo, Jin-Chuan Zhang, Shen-Qiang Zhai, Ning Zhuo, Li-Jun Wang, Shu-Man Liu
Summary: By integrating a suitable lens with a well-designed QCL array, multiple spatially-separated beams with controlled divergence angles and focusing efficiency are achieved. This method demonstrates excellent emission characteristics and multi-wavelength spectra at 77 K temperature.
OPTICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Luigi Consolino, Malik Nafa, Michele De Regis, Francesco Cappelli, Saverio Bartalini, Akio Ito, Masahiro Hitaka, Tatsuo Dougakiuchi, Tadataka Edamura, Paolo De Natale, Kazuue Fujita
Summary: This article presents the ultra-broadband THz emission obtained by intra-cavity mixing of different wavelengths, as well as the characterization and measurement methods of this emission. The new device can operate at low temperatures without the need for expensive liquid helium cooling, offering high stability and frequency accuracy.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kimberly S. Reichel, Eva Arianna Aurelia Pogna, Simone Biasco, Leonardo Viti, Alessandra Di Gaspare, Harvey E. Beere, David A. Ritchie, Miriam S. Vitiello
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of electrically pumped random laser resonators as sensitive photodetectors through the self-mixing effect, and shows the laser sensitivity to self-mixing under different feedback conditions. By utilizing two-dimensional cavities and reflecting emitted light back onto the surface, a near-field optical microscope with 120 nm spatial resolution is achieved, opening up possibilities for speckle-free nano-imaging and quantum sensing applications in the far-infrared region.
Article
Physics, Applied
Viktor Rindert, Ekin Onder, Andreas Wacker
Summary: This paper presents detailed simulations of terahertz quantum cascade lasers based on two-well designs, analyzing the factors affecting the maximal operation temperatures and proposing methods to improve the current injection.
PHYSICAL REVIEW APPLIED
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuyang Wu, Jinchuan Zhang, Yunhao Zhao, Chongyun Liang, Fengqi Liu, Yi Shi, Renchao Che
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism of the temperature degradation of population inversion in terahertz quantum cascade lasers. It is found that the limited extraction efficiency of the extraction system is the main cause for the decrease in population inversion at elevated temperatures. Additionally, the temperature-induced electron-phonon scattering and electron-ionized donor separation also contribute to the degradation of population inversion.
Article
Physics, Applied
Ali Khalatpour, Man Chun Tam, Sadhvikas J. Addamane, John Reno, Zbignew Wasilewski, Qing Hu
Summary: In this paper, the maximum operating temperature of THz QCLs has been improved to approximately 261K, as a step toward the realization of compact semiconductor THz sources.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Yu Wu, Sadhvikas Addamane, John L. Reno, Benjamin S. Williams
Summary: A new VECSEL external cavity design is demonstrated to transition from single/double-mode lasing to multi-mode lasing, with up to nine modes lasing simultaneously, paving the way for eventual frequency comb operation.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Benjamin Roben, Xiang Lu, Klaus Biermann, Lutz Schrottke, Holger T. Grahn
Summary: Terahertz quantum-cascade lasers are based on complex semiconductor heterostructures, with optical gain generated by intersubband transitions. The effective group refractive index ng,eff can be determined by the spacing of laser modes in the emission spectra.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder, Paul Dean, Edmund H. Linfield, A. Giles Davies
Summary: This study introduces a THz QCL heterostructure designed to emit two resonant photons from each electronic relaxation between two same-parity states, predicting a significant enhancement of light intensity compared to conventional THz QCL structures through simulations.
Article
Optics
Chenjie Wang, Ziping Li, Xiaoyu Liao, Wen Guan, Xuhong Ma, Kang Zhou, J. C. Cao, Hua Li
Summary: This work presents an improved frequency comb and dual-comb operation of terahertz QCLs by utilizing a symmetric thermal dissipation scheme. It shows that the symmetric thermal dissipation results in more uniform thermal conduction and lower maximum temperature compared to the traditional asymmetric scheme. This approach could be widely adopted for applications such as spectroscopy, imaging, and near-field applications.
Article
Physics, Applied
Asaf Albo, Qing Hu, John L. Reno
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2016)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Asaf Albo, Yuri V. Flores
IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Asaf Albo, Yuri V. Flores
IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yuri V. Flores, Asaf Albo
IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS
(2017)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Asaf Albo, Dan Fekete, Gad Bahir
INFRARED PHYSICS & TECHNOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Physics, Applied
Asaf Albo, Yuri V. Flores, Qing Hu, John L. Reno
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2019)
Article
Optics
Nathalie Lander Gower, Silvia Piperno, Asaf Albo
Article
Optics
Nathalie Lander Gower, Silvia Piperno, Asaf Albo
Summary: The analysis of three different Terahertz quantum-cascade-laser designs showed that the two-well design performed best overall in terms of variations in current density, interface roughness, and ionized impurity scattering. Future research aiming to improve the temperature performance of such laser designs should focus on the two-well design.
Article
Optics
Nathalie Lander Gower, Silvia Piperno, Asaf Albo
Summary: Studied the effect of doping on the temperature performance of a THz-QCL system, results showed that increasing doping did not improve performance as in RP systems, instead causing gain broadening and reduced dephasing time.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Danveer Singh, Michal Poplinger, Avraham Twitto, Rafi Snitkoff, Pilkhaz Nanikashvili, Ori Azolay, Adi Levi, Chen Stern, Gili Cohen Taguri, Asaf Albo, Doron Naveh, Tomer Lewi
Summary: A chemical vapor deposition technique has been utilized to deposit amorphous selenium spheres on various substrates and characterize their Mie-resonant response in the mid-infrared spectral range. The amorphous selenium spheres demonstrate size-tunable Mie resonances and strong absorption dips of up to 90% in a broad MIR range. Furthermore, ultra-high-Q resonances are observed when Se Mie-resonators are coupled to low-loss epsilon-near-zero substrates.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Optics
Shiran Levy, Nathalie Lander Gower, Silvia Piperno, Sadhvikas J. Addamane, John L. Reno, Asaf Albo
Summary: We propose a highly diagonal split-well resonant-phonon (SWRP) active region design for GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz-QCLs). The design successfully suppresses thermally activated leakage channels, as evidenced by the observation of negative differential resistance at room temperature. The reduced overlap between the doped region and the active level states improves the performance of the laser.
Article
Physics, Applied
Nathalie Lander Gower, Shiran Levy, Silvia Piperno, Sadhvikas J. Addamane, John L. Reno, Asaf Albo
Summary: We conducted an experimental study on a new design for a terahertz quantum cascade laser (THz QCL) that combines two-well injector and direct-phonon scattering schemes. This design improves the performance of the lasers by using a direct phonon scattering scheme for depopulating the lower laser level and reducing the overlap with the doped region. The design also achieves efficient isolation of active laser levels and shows potential for higher operating temperatures than the current records.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
S. Levy, N. Lander Gower, S. Piperno, S. J. Addamane, J. L. Reno, A. Atho
Summary: We introduce a new terahertz quantum cascade laser scheme with a clean four-level system, verified by observing negative differential resistance up to room temperature. The temperature performance of this design was analyzed through experimental and theoretical work, examining the impact of doping density and scattering mechanisms.
2023 48TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INFRARED, MILLIMETER, AND TERAHERTZ WAVES, IRMMW-THZ
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Nathalie Lander Gower, Silvia Piperno, Asaf Albo
Article
Physics, Applied
Asaf Albo, Yuri V. Flores, Qing Hu, John L. Reno
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2017)