CAREER: Mid-Infrared Quantum Dot Cascade Lasers

该计划的目标是开发一种基于工程量子纳米结构中次能级间跃迁的新型半导体激光器。 自组装和纳米光刻定义的量子点将研究其作为中红外增益介质和集成到半导体激光器结构的潜力。 该计划的智力价值在于开发一种新型的增益介质，该介质可以用于传感和芯片实验室应用的中红外激光器，也可以用于尖端的中红外超材料和等离子体结构。 此外，对光学有效的纳米光刻定义的量子异质结构的研究将被证明是一种使能技术，不仅适用于中红外频率，而且适用于其他技术上重要的频率范围，如太赫兹和电信频率。拟议工作的更广泛影响在于与这种新增益介质潜在集成到医疗诊断，环境传感以及安全和国防技术相关的社会效益。 此外，光学增益的发展将反映在一项教育计划中，该计划旨在将学术增益融入当地K12和大学社区，重点是培养年轻本科生和高中理科学生的核心能力。 总之，该计划将开发一种变革性的技术，以展示工程半导体量子纳米结构中的子级间增益，并将这种新的增益介质集成到中红外光子学应用的设备和结构中。 发展光学增益的技术建议与一项教育计划密切相关，该计划旨在证明本地K12和本科理科学生的学术增益。

The objective of this program is the development of a new class of semiconductor laser based on intersublevel transitions in engineered quantum nanostructures. Both self-assembled and nanolithographically defined quantum dots will be investigated for their potential as mid-infrared gain media and for integration into semiconductor laser structures. The intellectual merit of the program lies in the development of a new type of gain media which can be incorporated either mid-infrared lasers for sensing and lab-on-a-chip applications, or into cutting edge mid-infrared metamaterial and plasmonic structures. The investigation of optically efficient nanolithographically defined quantum heterostructures will, in addition, prove to be an enabling technology, not only for mid-infrared frequencies, but in other, technologically important frequency ranges such as the terahertz and telecom frequencies. The broader impacts of the proposed work lie in the societal benefits associated with the potential integration of this new gain medium into medical diagnostic, environmental sensing, and security and defense technologies. Furthermore, the development of optical gain will be mirrored by an educational plan designed to integrate academic gain into the local K12 and university community, with an emphasis on developing core competencies among young undergraduate and high-school science students. In summary, the program will develop a transformative technology to demonstrate intersublevel gain in engineered semiconductor quantum nanostructures, and integrate this new gain media into devices and structures for mid-infrared photonics applications. The technical proposal to develop optical gain is mirrored closely by an educational plan to demonstrate academic gain among local K12 and undergraduate science students.