Tunable Continuous Wave THz Source Based on a Room Temperature Quantum Cascade Laser

目标：本计划的目标是在室温下创建一个紧凑，高效和可调谐的连续波太赫兹光源。这将通过创建内置非线性的单片双频中红外可调谐激光器来实现。高功率、可调谐太赫兹辐射将通过差频产生发射，封装将优化热管理和收集相位匹配的太赫兹输出。智力优势：该项目的智力优势在于开发生产多功能单片太赫兹发射器所需的核心技术和集成过程。各种必要的研究课题包括子带间增益、非线性和输运、热管理、激光腔非线性和太赫兹辐射的有效自由空间耦合的建模。成功集成到一个通用平台上，将对多功能中红外和太赫兹光电集成电路的进一步发展起到变革性的作用。更广泛的影响：这项工作将对科学基础设施和教育产生更广泛的影响。首先，这种源的小尺寸和大规模生产的潜力可能代表了未来广泛进入太赫兹光谱区域的使能技术。这种类型的太赫兹源在基础科学，以及爆炸物和药物检测，安全筛查（t射线成像），天文学/天体物理学和医学成像中有许多应用。源代码开发的进展将被公布，并向一般科学界开放。最后，研究的各个方面将被用作西北大学的课堂实例，并为本科生和当地高中生提供二次研究机会。

Objective: The objective of this program is to create a compact, efficient, and tunable continuous wave THz light source at room temperature. This will be accomplished by creating a monolithic, two-frequency, mid-infrared, tunable laser with a built-in nonlinearity. High power, tunable THz radiation will be emitted via difference frequency generation, and the packaging will be optimized for thermal management and collection of phase-matched THz output.Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of this project lies in developing the core technologies and integration processes necessary to produce a multi-functional monolithic THz emitter. The various research topics necessary include modeling of intersubband gain, nonlinearity, and transport , thermal management, laser cavity nonlinearities, and efficient free space coupling of THz radiation. Successful integration onto a common platform will play a transformative role in the further development of multi-functional mid-infrared and THz optoelectronic integrated circuits. Broader Impacts: The broader impacts of this work will impact both scientific infrastructure and education. First, the small size of this source and potential for mass production may represent a future enabling technology for widespread access to the THz spectral region. This type of THz source has numerous applications in basic science, as well as in explosive and drug detection, security screening (T-ray imaging), astronomy/ astrophysics, and medical imaging. Progress in source development will be published and accessible to the general scientific community. Finally, aspects of the research will be used as classroom examples at Northwestern University and provide secondary research opportunities for undergraduates and local high school students.