Article comprising a strain-compensated QC laser
US6023482A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 23, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 8, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 23, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/3406
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A quantum cascade (QC) laser has a multilayer core region comprising alternating layers of a first and a second semiconductor material, with lattice constants a.sub.1 and a.sub.2, respectively. The first material is selected such that a.sub.1 >a.sub.0, where a, is the lattice constant of the substrate (typically InP), and the second material is selected such that a.sub.2 >a.sub.0. The materials are also selected such that the conduction band discontinuity .DELTA.E.sub.c between the first and second materials is greater than 520 meV in absolute value. The multilayer core comprises a multiplicity of essentially identical multilayer repeat units. The layer thicknesses and materials of the repeat units are selected to substantially provide strain compensation over a repeat unit. QC lasers according to this invention preferably comprise a distributed feedback feature, (e.g., a Bragg grating) selected to ensure single mode laser emission, and can be designed for operation at a wavelength in the first atmospheric window, typically about 3-5 .mu.m. Such lasers can advantageously be used for absorption spectroscopy, e.g., for emission monitoring.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.