TY - JOUR
T1 - Two-dimensional conduction-band engineering for performance optimization of quantum cascade lasers
AU - Botez, D.
AU - Kirch, J. D.
AU - Shin, J. C.
AU - Chang, C. C.
AU - Garrod, T.
AU - Mawst, L. J.
AU - Earles, T.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - The device core of a conventional quantum cascade laser (QCL) is composed of a superlattice of quantum wells (QWs) and barriers of fixed alloy compositions, which, for 4.5-5.0 μm-emitting QCLs operated at room temperature (RT), results in severe carrier leakage. In turn, the characteristic-temperature values for the threshold-current density J th and the slope efficiency are low: T0 is in the 130-150 K range 1-3 and T1 is in the 140-170 K range. 1,3 That is why the maximum wallplug efficiency η wp, max in CW operation at RT, for light emitted from the front facet of conventional devices with high-reflectivity-coated back facets, has typical values4 of only ≈13%, and no statistically relevant lifetest data have been reported to date for high-power CW devices. Furthermore, thermally accelerated lifetime studies3 have been limited to low CW powers (≤0.2 W); thus, no device-aging model can be deduced for high-CW-power (≥0.5 W) QCLs.
AB - The device core of a conventional quantum cascade laser (QCL) is composed of a superlattice of quantum wells (QWs) and barriers of fixed alloy compositions, which, for 4.5-5.0 μm-emitting QCLs operated at room temperature (RT), results in severe carrier leakage. In turn, the characteristic-temperature values for the threshold-current density J th and the slope efficiency are low: T0 is in the 130-150 K range 1-3 and T1 is in the 140-170 K range. 1,3 That is why the maximum wallplug efficiency η wp, max in CW operation at RT, for light emitted from the front facet of conventional devices with high-reflectivity-coated back facets, has typical values4 of only ≈13%, and no statistically relevant lifetest data have been reported to date for high-power CW devices. Furthermore, thermally accelerated lifetime studies3 have been limited to low CW powers (≤0.2 W); thus, no device-aging model can be deduced for high-CW-power (≥0.5 W) QCLs.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84870626808&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/ISLC.2012.6348312
DO - 10.1109/ISLC.2012.6348312
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:84870626808
SN - 0899-9406
SP - 30
EP - 31
JO - Conference Digest - IEEE International Semiconductor Laser Conference
JF - Conference Digest - IEEE International Semiconductor Laser Conference
M1 - 6348312
T2 - 23rd IEEE International Semiconductor Laser Conference, ISLC 2012
Y2 - 7 October 2012 through 10 October 2012
ER -