Quantum-cascade lasers based on strain-compensated As operating at room temperature in the first atmospheric window spectral range

高分辨率分子光谱、痕量气体检测、污染监测和某些医疗诊断等应用需要3-5微米光谱区域/1/的毫瓦级稳定单频辐射源。该项目的重点是研究和开发满足这些要求的高性能(In，Al)As+AlAs/(In，Ga)As量子级联激光器(QCL)。有源区的设计是基于气态源分子束外延在InP衬底上制备的应变补偿(In，Al)As/(In，Ga)As结构中的新型双组分势垒区。拟议的工作包括结构设计、生长、加工以及材料和成品激光器的表征。拟议研究的预期结果既包括激光器的技术，包括优化的设计和加工方法，也包括其运作的物理方面。设计和加工目标包括扩展我们的双组分屏障设计，以包括SB和改进的散热。基础研究包括在高达60T的磁场中进行激光测量(与法国图卢兹国家磁性脉冲实验室Jean Leotin教授合作)，以研究相关的谷内和谷间载流子散射机制，这些机制有助于材料系统中短波长激光作用的限制因素。

Applications such as high-resolution molecular spectroscopy, trace-gas detection, pollution monitoring, and certain medical diagnoses require milliwatt-level sources of stable single-frequency radiation in the 3-5µ spectral region /1/. The proposed project focusses on investigating and developing high-performance (In,Al)As+A1As/(In,Ga)As quantum cascade lasers (QCLS) on InP that will meet these requirements. The active region design is based on novel two-component barrier regions within straincompensated (In,Al)As/(In,Ga)As structures prepared using gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy on InP substrates. The proposed work includes structure design, growth, processing, and the characterization of both materials and finished lasers. The anticipated results from the proposed research are both in the technology of the lasers including optimized designs and processing approaches as well as in the physics of their operation. Design and processing goals include the extension of our two-component-barrier design to include Sb and improved heat sinking. The fundamental investigations include laser measurements in magnetic fields up to 60 T (in collaboration with Prof. Jean Leotin, Laboratoire National des Champs Magnetiques Pulses, Toulouse, France) to investigate the relevant intra- and inter-valley carrier scattering mechanisms which contribute to the limiting factors of the short wavelength laser action in the material system.