Widely Tunable Single-Mode Interband Cascade Lasers

非技术描述：具有广泛可调谐发射波长的半导体红外激光器对于环境和化学战监测，管道泄漏和爆炸物检测，食品安全，医疗诊断和工业过程控制等广泛应用至关重要。本项目结合新型光学结构和定制半导体材料，展示和开发半导体激光器。该项目的目标还包括在调整注入电流以调整波长时，对红外光如何与新光学结构相互作用的理解和知识的进步。该项目为俄克拉何马大学的研究生和本科生提供了独特的机会，以追求多学科主题（材料科学，量子工程，光子学和器件制造）的教育，培训和研究。该项目还加强了俄克拉何马州的科学技术发展基础设施，并增加了来自代表性不足群体的学生的机会。技术描述：许多应用需要可广泛调谐的单模中红外半导体激光器，该激光器可以在室温下以低功耗连续工作。通过单片集成一种新型半波v耦合腔，所提出的带间级联激光器将具有单模发射，具有高边模抑制比（30 dB），无需传统的分布式反馈光栅。这种配置也使激光器具有宽调谐范围（30纳米）。此外，通过波导结构的创新，这些激光器将增强光约束，改善热耗散，减少应变积累。这些可广泛调谐的单模中红外激光器将大大有利于许多有用的应用，特别是在中红外系统必须使用电池和能源成本/可用性是一个问题的地方，包括对尺寸和电力有严格限制的空间应用。这些激光器的可用性将大大提高中红外激光仪器的能力及其在许多领域的应用。该项目不仅促进了人们对光学科学的理解和认识，而且在量子工程结构的设计方面产生了新的知识，拓宽了它们的应用范围。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-Technical Description: Semiconductor infrared lasers with widely tunable emission wavelength are critically needed for a wide range of applications such as environmental and chemical-warfare monitoring, detection of pipe leaks and explosives, food safety, medical diagnostics, and industrial process control. This project combines novel optical structures and customized semiconductor materials to demonstrate and develop the much-needed semiconductor lasers. The objectives of the project also include advancement in the understanding and knowledge of how infrared light interacts with the new optical structures as the injecting current is adjusted to tune the wavelength. The project offers graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Oklahoma unique opportunities to pursue education, training and research in multidisciplinary topics (materials science, quantum engineering, photonics, and device fabrication). This project also enhances Oklahoma's infrastructure for science and technology development and increases the opportunities of students from under-represented groups. Technical Description: Many applications require widely tunable single-mode mid-infrared semiconductor lasers that can operate continuously with low power consumption at room temperature. By monolithically integrating a novel half-wave V-coupled cavity, the proposed interband cascade lasers will have a single-mode emission with a high side-mode suppression ratio (30 dB) without conventional distributed feedback gratings. This configuration also enables the lasers to have a wide tuning range ( 30 nm). Additionally, through innovation of the waveguide structure, these lasers will have enhanced optical confinement, improved thermal dissipation, and reduced strain accumulation. These widely tunable single-mode mid-infrared lasers will significantly benefit many useful applications, especially where mid-infrared systems must be operated with batteries and energy cost/availability is a concern, including space applications with strict constraints on size and electric power. The availability of these lasers will greatly enhance the capabilities of mid-infrared laser instruments and their applications in many areas. This project not only advances the understanding and knowledge of optical science, it also generates new knowledge in the design of quantum-engineered structures and broadens their applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.