STTR Phase I: Efficient Mid-Infrared Interband Cascade Lasers

这个小型企业技术转移（STTR）第一阶段项目将开发基于使用介电层和金属层的创新混合波导的高效带间级联激光器。混合波导带间级联激光器对器件结构的要求要低得多，并且在宽波长范围内具有高效的连续波操作，以及更大的调谐范围和模式选择等功能。此外，与目前使用超晶格作为包层的带间级联激光器相比，混合波导带间级联激光器可以显著增强热耗散。该研究项目的成功不仅将实现低功耗的高效混合波导带间级联激光器，而且将促进对混合波导如何显著提高带间二极管激光器器件性能的理解。这些高效的IC激光器具有如此低的功耗，将极大地有利于许多有用的应用，例如化学传感，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情况下，包括受尺寸和电力限制的现场应用。高性能混合波导带间级联激光器的出现将大大提高中红外激光仪器的性能及其在许多领域的应用。该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将产生新的前沿知识，以改进量子半导体结构和器件的设计和理解。在整个中红外波段实现高能效带间级联激光器，将对生物医学、工业、地球科学、空间探索、国防和国土安全等领域产生重大影响。高效中红外带间级联激光器的可用性将进一步刺激商业中红外市场的扩张，甚至有助于创造新的应用。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop efficient interband cascade lasers based on innovative hybrid waveguides using dielectric and metal layers. The hybrid-waveguide interband cascade lasers will be much less demanding in the growth of device structures and will have efficient continuous wave operation in a wide range of wavelengths, as well as more capabilities such as a wide tuning range and mode selection. Furthermore, hybrid-waveguide interband cascade lasers can have significantly enhanced thermal dissipation compared to current interband cascade lasers that use superlattices as cladding layers. The success of this research project will not only realize efficient hybrid-waveguide interband cascade lasers with low power consumption, it will advance the understanding of how hybrid waveguides can significantly improve the device performance of interband diode lasers. These efficient IC lasers, with such low power consumption, will greatly benefit many useful applications such as chemical sensing, especially where mid-infrared systems must be operated with batteries and energy cost/availability is a concern, including field applications with constraints on size and electric power. The availability of high-performance hybrid-waveguide interband cascade lasers will significantly enhance the capabilities of mid-infrared laser instruments and their applications in many areas.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will generate new cutting-edge knowledge toward improved design and understanding of quantum semiconductor structures and devices. The realization of energy-efficient interband cascade lasers in the entire mid-infrared wavelength region will have significant impact on many biomedical, industrial, earth science, space exploration, defense and homeland security applications. The availability of efficient mid-infrared interband cascade lasers will further stimulate the expansion of the commercial mid-infrared market and even help to create new applications.