SBIR Phase I: Antimony-based Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Lasers

SBIR 第一阶段：锑基中红外量子级联激光器

• 批准号: 0109460
• 负责人: John Bruno
• 金额: $ 9.86万
• 依托单位: Maxion Technologies, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-07-01 至 2001-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0109460&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Antimony; based; Mid

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop mid-infrared (IR) quantum cascade lasers based on type-II indium arsenide/gallium anitmonide/aluminum antimonide (InAs/GaSb/AlSb) quantum well structures. These lasers emit radiation in the mid-IR region, enabling commercial products in fields including chemical sensing, medical diagnostics, and industrial process controls. The wavelength of Sb-based quantum cascade lasers can be tailored over a wide spectral range due to the large conduction band-offset between InAs and AlSb. In addition, because of the band-gap blocking in type-II quantum well structures, electron injection efficiencies near 100% can be achieved without requiring Bragg reflector layers. Another advantage of this material system is the small electron effective mass in InAs, contributing to reduced phonon scattering rates. Hence, the inter-sub-band quantum cascade lasers based on type-II InAs/GaSb/AlSb quantum well structures are excellent candidates for compact, reliable, efficient mid-infrared light sources operating at room temperature. Phase I will involve the design, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth, characterization, and optimization of InAs/GaInSb/AlSb quantum cascade lasers to demonstrate their feasibility of operation at low threshold current and at ambient temperatures (or at temperatures accessible with a thermoelectric cooler). High performance mid-IR quantum cascade lasers would be developed in Phase II.The first mid-IR semiconductor lasers are expected to operate under continuous wave (cw) conditions at ambient temperatures. This would enable commercial products in several fields including chemical sensing. One example is detection, at the parts per billion (ppb) level, of formaldehyde and related compounds for medical diagnosis purposes. These laser sources will potentially find other commercial and defense applications.

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发基于II型砷化铟/氮化镓/锑化铝（InAs/GaSb/AlSb）量子阱结构的中红外（IR）量子级联激光器。 这些激光器在中红外区域发射辐射，使化学传感，医疗诊断和工业过程控制等领域的商业产品成为可能。 由于InAs和AlSb之间大的导带偏移，Sb基量子级联激光器的波长可以在宽的光谱范围内定制。 此外，由于II型量子阱结构中的带隙阻挡，可以在不需要布拉格反射器层的情况下实现接近100%的电子注入效率。 这种材料系统的另一个优点是InAs中的小电子有效质量，有助于降低声子散射率。 因此，基于II型InAs/GaSb/AlSb量子阱结构的子带间量子级联激光器是在室温下工作的紧凑、可靠、高效的中红外光源的优秀候选者。 第一阶段将涉及设计，分子束外延（MBE）生长，表征和优化的InAs/GaInSb/AlSb量子级联激光器，以证明其在低阈值电流和环境温度下（或在温度与热电冷却器访问）操作的可行性。 高性能中红外量子级联激光器将在第二阶段开发。第一批中红外半导体激光器预计将在环境温度下在连续波（cw）条件下工作。 这将使包括化学传感在内的多个领域的商业产品成为可能。 一个例子是检测，在十亿分之一（ppb）的水平，甲醛和相关化合物的医疗诊断目的。 这些激光源将有可能找到其他商业和国防应用。