Quantum cascade laser structure

US7848376B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin · DE
• Forschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V. · DE

Inventors

• William Masselink · Urbana, US
• Sebastian Dressler · Berlin, DE
• Mykhaylo Petrovych Semtsiv · Berlin, DE
• Nikolai Georgiev · Dresden, DE
• Manfred Helm · Dresden, DE
• Thomas Dekorsy · Großerkmannsdorf, DE
• Mathias Ziegler · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 10, 2008
• Grant date: Dec 7, 2010
• Expiry date: Aug 27, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/3406
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A quantum cascade laser structure in accordance with the invention comprises a number of cascades (100), each of which comprises a number of alternately arranged quantum wells (110a to 110j) and barrier layers (105 to 105j). The material of at least one quantum well (110a to 110j) as well as the material of at least one barrier layer (105 to 105j) is under mechanical strain, with the respective strain being either a tensile strain or a compression strain. The quantum wells (110a to 110j) and barrier layers (105 to 105j) are engineered in the quantum cascade laser structure in accordance with the invention so that existing strains are largely compensated within a cascade (100). In the quantum cascade laser structure in accordance with the invention, each material of the quantum wells (110a to 110j) has only one constituent material and the material of at least one barrier layer (105d, 105e, 105f) has at least two constituent materials (111a, 111b, 112a, 112b, 113a, 113b).