Quantum Lasers

EE 566 Optical Communications

Massoud MOMENI Grad Microelectronics mmomeni@buffalo.edu

Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni

Overview
1. Quantum Lasers a) b) c) d) e) f) 2. 3. QL SQW L MQW L SCH L GRINSCH L QC L QD L

Single-Quantum Well Laser Multiple-Quantum Well Laser Separate Confinement Heterostructure Laser Graded-Index SCH Laser Quantum Cascade Laser Quantum Dot Laser

Summary References and

Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni

1. Quantum Lasers
LASER = Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni

Single-Quantum Well Laser (SQWL)

Double Heterostructure:

V>0 P p N Eel EC

EFn

hf

EFp

nm Basic Laser condition:

EV

Ehole

f C ( EV + hf ) > 1 fV ( EV )
Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni

or, alternatively,

EFn EFp > EG

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Refractive Index and Mode Profile

Homostructure Single Heterostructure (SHS) Double Heterostructure (DHS)

p+ n

n+

n+

optical field

Electrical confinement is higher for a DHS

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Optical confinement is higher for a DHS

lower Ith
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Multiple-Quantum Well Laser (MQWL)

MQW using isotype SQW:
MQW DFB

P
EC

P
EV

mini bands
MQW DFB

hf

hf

hf

hf

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Separate Confinement Heterostructure (SCH)

P InP p N InP InGaAsP

EC

InGaAsP

hf

EV
cladding
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5 nm

InGaAs InGaAsP

10 nm

50 nm

SCH region

MQW region

SCH region

cladding
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Graded-Index SCH Laser (GRINSCH L)

cladding GRIN region MQW region GRIN region cladding

EC

EG ( InP ) EG ( InGaAs ) EG ( InGaAsP )

EV n x

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Quantum Cascade Laser (QC L) Principle

interband transition:

Eappl

intersubband transition:

Tunneling rate >> 3 = 1 ps and 2 = 0.3 ps << 32 > 1 ps population inversion Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni 9

QC Laser -Tailoring

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QC Laser Data
Data [15]:

Pout
[mW] 200 300 (CW) up to 1000 (PM)

[ m] 3.4 80

Jth [A/cm2] / Eth [kV/cm]

250 290 / 7.5 48

operation mode PM or CW on cooler

first demo [year]

$$$

350 1994 AT&T (later) Bell Labs

Material systems: GaAs based, InP based, Si / SiGe on GaSb, InAs / AlSb on GaSb
CW = continuous wave; PM = pulse mode

Applications [16]: Military and Security Commercial, Medical Free-Space Optical Communication Systems and Astronomy Gas detection based on laser spectroscopy with CW or pulsed QC DFB lasers (chemical sensors)
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Quantum Dot Lasers (QD L) 1. Principle

a) schematic view: b) tunneling-injection QD laser:

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QD L 2. Principle
electrons

n-cladding

holes a) Prevention of parasitic recombination in the OCL

Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni

p-cladding

OCL

OCL

QD

b) Limit case

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2. Summary
Quantum Lasers use the structures we have discussed so far in order to 1. optimize the properties of a simple Fabry-Perot Laser (L, R, g, ), 2. Increase efficiency ( ) 3. reduce the threshold current (Ith ) and its temperature dependency, 4. change the wavelength of the laser beam ( ), 5. achieve continuous wave (CW) operation @ RT, and 6. increase the output power (P). Fabrication: 1. 2. Metallorganic chemical vapor deposition MOCVD Molecular beam epitaxy MBE
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What we left out (more presentations?)

Basics: o o o Quantum Effects (energy quantization, first and second order tunneling effect,) Simple Fabry Perot Laser (FPL) and characteristics Concept of gain-guided (active) or index-guided (passive) lasers (wave guiding), e.g. in buried heterostructure lasers (BHS), or separate lateral confinement (LC) Distributed bragg reflector (DBR), distributed feedback bragg (reflector) (DFB)

R&D: Blue Lasers or GaN Lasers Tunable Lasers (TL) or Tunable Diode Lasers (TDL) Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSEL) Strained heterostructure QW lasers 15

Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni

3. References (QC L)
[1] Sirtori C., Nagle J., Quantum Cascade Lasers: the quantum technology for semiconductor lasers in the mid-far-infrared. Comptes Rendus Physique, In Press, Corrected Proof, Sep. 2003 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6X19-49FGMWM-6/2/299ee308e587b6215f4731fbe5cfd566 [2] Garciaa M., Normand E., Stanley C.R., Ironside C.N., Farmer C.D., Duxbury G., Langford N., "An AlGaAsGaAs quantum cascade laser operating with a thermoelectric cooler for spectroscopy of NH3. Optics Communications, In Press, Uncorrected Proof, Sep. 2003. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TVF-49FXMFB-3/2/607fb52178f815aca3c266c7cf670524 [3] Khler, R., Tredicucci A., Beltram F., Beere H.E., Linfield E.H., Davies A.G., Ritchie D.A., Iotti, R.C., Rossi F., "Terahertz semiconductor-heterostructure laser" letters to nature, vol. 417 no. 6885, pp. 156 159, May 2002. [4] Sirtori C., "Applied physics: Bridge for the terahertz gap." Nature news and views, vol. 417, no. 6885, pp. 132133, May 2002. [5] Beck M., Hofstetter D., Aellen T., Faist J., Oesterle U., Ilegems M., Gini E., Melchior H., Continuous wave operation of a mid-infrared semiconductor laser at room temperature. Science, vol. 295, issue 5553, pp. 301305, Jan. 2002. [6] Kosterev A.A., Tittel F.K., "Chemical Sensors Based on Quantum Cascade Lasers." IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 38, no. 6, , pp. 582591, June 2002. Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni 16

4. References (QD L)
[7] Asryan L.V., Luryi S., "Tunneling-Injection Quantum-Dot Laser: Ultrahigh Temperature Stability" IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 37, no. 7, pp. 905910, July 2001. http://www.ee.sunysb.edu/~serge/177.pdf http://www.ee.sunysb.edu/~serge/publist.pdf [8] Asryan L.V., Luryi S., Suris R.A., "Internal Efficiency of Semiconductor Lasers With a QuantumConfined Active Region." IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 404418, March 2003. http://www.ee.sunysb.edu/~serge/191.pdf [9] Pelton M., Yamamoto Y., "Ultralow threshold laser using a single quantum dot and a microsphere cavity." Physical Review A, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 22182241, March 1999. [10] Maximov M.V., Asryan L.V., Shernyakov Yu.M., Tsatsulnikov A.F., Kaiander I.N., Nikolaev V.V., Kovsh A.R., Mikhrin S.S., Ustinov V.M., Zhukov A.E., Alferov Zh.I., Ledenstov N.N., Bimberg D., "Gain and Threshold Characteristics of Long Wavelength Lasers Based on InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots Formed by Activated Alloy Phase Separation." IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 676683, May 2001. [11] Luryi S., Xu J.M., Zaslavsky A., Future Trends in Microelectronics: the Nano Millennium, Wiley-IEEE Press, 2002, pp. 219230. http://www.ee.sunysb.edu/~serge/180.pdf [12] Bludau, W. Halbleiter-Optoelektronik, Mnchen, Wien: Hanser, 1995, pp. 122123, 151155, 180 187. Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni 17

History of Lasers
Welch D.F., A Brief History of High-Power Semiconductor Lasers. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 1470 1477, Dec. 2000.

Laser history 19171996: http://home.achilles.net/~jtalbot/history/

Laser at Bell Laboratories from 19581998: http://www.bell-labs.com/history/laser/

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Where to find papers

Where to look for articles on these topics: (use ScienceDirect & IEEE Xplore) IEEE http://www.ieee.org/ IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics IEEE Photonics Technology Letters IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices IEEE Proceedings on Optoelectronics http://www.nature.com/ http://www.sciencemag.org/ http://ojps.aip.org/aplo/top.jsp http://lfw.pennnet.com/home.cfm

Nature Science Applied Physics Letters Laser Focus World Elsevier

http://www.elsevier.com/locate/optcom Elsevier Optics Communications Elsevier Comptes Rendus Physique

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Wanna BUY a quantum laser?

Go online Click on http://lfw.pennnet.com/home.cfm to get to Laser Focus World Look for Buyers Guide in the left column and click on it! Type the keywords! E.g. Quantum Cascade Laser Youll get a list with companies (in this case just one) offering a quantum laser or something related to it, click on the entry and then the companys link! You are transferred to the companys website BUY ALL YOU WANT OR ALL YOU NEED! (datasheet, images etc. readily available)

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1. Example: Quantum Cascade Laser

Laser Components Instrument Group Address:10 Upton Drive Wilmington, MA 01887 Phone: 978-658-9100 Fax: 978-658-1888 URL: www.laser-components.com Email: info@laser-components.com Employees: 5 Year Founded: 1976 Job Openings: unfortunately no This product is a For prices, talk to Gary Hayes:

10.000 15.000 US $

HIGHLIGHT!
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2. Example: Single-Mode SQW GRINSCH L

Axcel Photonics, Inc. 1 US $ Address:45 Bartlett Street Marlborough, MA 01752 Phone: 508-481-9200 Fax: 508-481-9261 URL: http://www.axcelphotonics.com/ Email: sales@axcelphotonics.com Employees: 18 N Job Opening: Office Manager For prices, call John Carry:

per mW, up to 500 mW

n E

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Pricelist (all in US Dollars)

MQW DFB Structures: InGaAsP MQW DFB Structure @ 1550 nm InGaAsP MQW DFB Structure @ 1310 nm AlGalnP Index guided MQW structures VCSEL Structures: Blue Laser Quantum Cascade Lasers Module System 779.35 467.00
MQW DFB

(more than 600 $ off if you choose a FP!)

24.00 189.70

8.00 (for each of 50) 26.00 (for a single one) 1,795.00 2,695.00 2,195.00 9,495.00
VCSEL

astronomical, even for the diode only

Sources:

INTELITE, Inc. Thorlabs GmbH Laser Components Instrument Group Axcel Photonics, Inc.

http://www.intelite.com http://www.thorlabs.com/index.cfm www.laser-components.com http://www.axcelphotonics.com/ 24

Quantum Lasers, M. Momeni

Abbreviations (Alphabetical Order)

BHS / BH CW DBR DFB DHS FP GRINSCH LASER LC MQW OLC PM Buried Heterostructure Continuous Wave Distributed Bragg Reflector Distributed Feedback Bragg Double Heterostructure Fabry Perot Graded-Index SCH Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation Lateral Confinement Multiple-Quantum Well Optical Confinement Layer Pulse Mode QL QW SCH SQW QC QD SHS SLC TL TDL VCSEL Quantum Laser Quantum Well Separate Confinement Heterostructure Single-Quantum Well Quantum Cascade Quantum Dot Single Heterostructure Separate Lateral Confinement Tunable Lasers Tunable Diode Lasers Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers

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For those who want to know more

Tutorial on Semiconductor Lasers

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