High-temperature Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。这项拟议的研究旨在开发在高温下工作的太赫兹量子级联激光器(THzQCL)。具体地说，在拟议的三年期限结束时，首席研究员设想开发出可在240K以上温度下工作的太赫兹QCL，这样它们就可以方便地通过热电制冷器进行冷却。这一发展将对太赫兹频率的科学和技术产生重大影响，在化学和生物制剂的检测、医疗和安全应用的成像、天体物理学、远程大气遥感和监测、高带宽自由空间通信和超高速信号处理等方面具有潜在的应用前景。如果孤立的量子阱可以看作是一维的“人造原子”，那么多量子阱(MQW)结构就是一个“人造分子”。这个项目完全是设计和制造这样的人造分子，以实现THz激光器的预期功能。更广泛的影响：首席调查员应邀在许多著名会议上作特邀/全体会议/主旨演讲。这项工作也被广泛的社区媒体报道，如技术评论、激光聚焦和NPR Market Place。通过合作，PI小组开发的太赫兹激光通过增加一个关键的启动组件，帮助加强了与太赫兹相关活动的其他机构的基础设施。首席研究员将把研究项目中的元素纳入固态物理研究生课程和本科生核心课程信号与系统。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."The proposed research seeks to develop terahertz quantum-cascade lasers (THz QCLs) that operate at high temperatures. Specifically, by end of the proposed three-year period, the principal investigator envisions the development of THz QCLs that can operate at temperatures above 240 K, so that they can be conveniently cooled by thermoelectric coolers. Such a development will have a significant impact on science and technologies in THz frequencies, where potential applications are promising in detection of chemical and biological agents, imaging for medical and security applications, astrophysics, remote atmospheric sensing and monitoring, high-bandwidth free-space communications, and ultrahigh-speed signal processing.Intellectual merit: The project will involve a considerable effort of quantum design. If an isolated quantum well can be viewed as a one-dimensional "artificial atom", then a multiple quantum-well (MQW) structure is an "artificial molecule". This project is nothing short of designing and making such artificial molecules that perform the desired function of THz lasers. Broader impacts: The principal investigator has been invited to give invited/plenary/keynote talks at many prestigious conferences. The work has also been reported in media for broad communities such as Technology Review, Laser Focus, and NPR Market Place. Through collaborations, the THz lasers developed in the PI's group have helped to enhance infrastructures at other institutions in THz-related activities by adding a crucial enabling component. The principal investigator will incorporate elements in the research project into a graduate course in solid-state physics and a undergraduate core course Signals and Systems.