Quantum cascade laser

US8014430B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• President and Fellows of Harvard College · US

Inventors

• C. Kumar N. Patel · Los Angeles, US
• Alexei Tsekoun · Los Angeles, US
• Richard Maulini · Los Angeles, US
• Arkadiy Lyakh · Santa Monica, US
• Christian Pflugl · Cambridge, US
• Laurent Diehl · Cambridge, US
• Qijie Wang · Singapore, SG
• Federico Capasso · Westfield, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 27, 2009
• Grant date: Sep 6, 2011
• Expiry date: Feb 13, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B82Y20/00
• WIPO field: Micro-structural and nano-technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A quantum cascade laser utilizing non-resonant extraction design having a multilayered semiconductor with a single type of carrier; at least two final levels (1 and 1′) for a transition down from level 2; an energy spacing E21 greater than ELO; an energy spacing E31 of about 100 meV; and an energy spacing E32 about equal to ELO. The carrier wave function for level 1 overlaps with the carrier wave function for level 2. Likewise, the carrier wave function for level 1′ overlaps with the carrier wave function for level 2. In a second version, the basic design also has an energy spacing E54 of about 90 meV, and levels 1 and 1′ do not have to be spatially close to each other, provided that level 2 has significant overlap with both these levels. In a third version, there are at least three final levels (1, 1′, and 1″) for a transition down from level 2. Each of the levels 1, 1′, and 1″ has a non-uniform squared wave function distribution.