High-performance quantum cascade lasers at λ ∼ 9 µm grown by MOCVD

Abstract

We demonstrate a high power InP-based quantum cascade laser (QCL) (λ ∼ 9 µm) with high characteristic temperature grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) in this article. A 4-mm-long cavity length, 10.5-µm-wide ridge QCL with high-reflection (HR) coating demonstrates a maximum pulsed peak power of 1.55 W and continuous-wave (CW) output power of 1.02W at 293 K. The pulsed threshold current density of the device is as low as 1.52 kA/cm2. The active region adopted a dual-upper-state (DAU) and multiple-lower-state (MS) design and it shows a wide electroluminescence (EL) spectrum with 466 cm−1 wide full-width at half maximum (FWHM). In addition, the device performance is insensitive to the temperature change since the threshold-current characteristic temperature coefficient, T0, is as high as 228 K, and slope-efficiency characteristic temperature coefficient, T1, is as high as 680 K, over the heatsink-temperature range of 293 K to 353 K.