Solid state laser for operation in librational modes

US6134257A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. · US

Inventors

• Federico Capasso · Westfield, US
• Alfred Yi Cho · Summit, US
• Jerome Faist · Zürich, CH
• Claire F. Gmachl · New Providence, US
• Deborah Lee Sivco · Hackettstown, US
• Evgueni E. Narimanov · West Lafayette, US
• Alfred Douglas Stone · North Haven, US
• Jens Uwe Noeckel · Dresden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 21, 1998
• Grant date: Oct 17, 2000
• Expiry date: Apr 21, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/083
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A solid state laser comprises a cavity resonator in the form of a generally cylindrical body and, located within the resonator, an active region which generates lasing light when suitably pumped. The resonator has a relatively high effective refractive index (n>2 and typically n>3) is sufficiently deformed from circularity so as to support at least one librational mode (e.g., a V-shaped or a bow-tie mode, the latter being presently preferred for generating relatively high power, directional outputs). Specifically described is a Group III-V compound semiconductor, quantum cascade (QC), micro-cylinder laser in which the resonator has a flattened quadrupolar deformation from circularity. This laser exhibits both a highly directional output emission and a three-order of magnitude increase in optical output power compared to conventional semiconductor micro-cylinder QC lasers having circularly symmetric resonators.