Long wavelength quantum cascade lasers based on high strain composition

US9608408B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• PRANALYTICA, INC. · US

Inventors

• Arkadiy Lyakh · Santa Monica, US
• Richard Maulini · Los Angeles, US
• Alexei Tsekoun · Los Angeles, US
• C. Kumar N. Patel · Los Angeles, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 26, 2013
• Grant date: Mar 28, 2017
• Expiry date: May 15, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/34346
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An improved longwave infrared quantum cascade laser. The improvement includes a strained InxGa1-xAs/AlyIn1-yAs composition, with x and y each between 0.53 and 1, an active region emitting at a wavelength equal to or greater than 8 μm, an energy spacing E54 equal to or greater than 50 meV, an energy spacing EC4 equal to or greater than 250 meV, and an optical waveguide with a cladding layer on each side of the active region. Each cladding layer has a doping level of about 2·1016 cm−3. The optical waveguide also has a top InP layer with a doping level of about 5·1016 cm−3 and a bottom InP layer with a doping level of about 5 1016 cm−3. Additionally, the optical waveguide has a plasmon layer with a doping level of about 8·1018 cm−3.