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High Performance Quantum Cascade Lasers and Their Applications

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Solid-State Mid-Infrared Laser Sources

Part of the book series: Topics in Applied Physics ((TAP,volume 89))

Abstract

This chapter describes our results on distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers in the wavelength range around 5 μm and around 10 μm. We present two different gain region designs; one with three quantum wells and one with a double phonon resonance. Several fabrication techniques are also presented and analysed in terms of fabrication simplicity, performance, yield, and reliability. We will outline typical results for all devices and also show some interesting applications. In light of this, the chapter is organized as follows: We start with a brief introduction; in Sect. 2, the advantages and drawbacks of the different gain regions are outlined; Sect. 3 deals with the fabrication technology which was required to build these lasers; in Sect. 4, we present the measurement results on the devices; and finally, Sect. 5 describes two examples of interesting applications in the fields of optical spectroscopy and optical data transmission. The chapter ends with a brief conclusion and an outlook.

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  1. Institute of Physics, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Daniel Hofstetter & Jérôme Faist

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  1. Daniel Hofstetter
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  1. Photonics Institute, Technical University of Vienna, Gusshausstr. 27/387, 1040, Vienna, Austria

    Irina T. Sorokina

  2. Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305-4088, USA

    Konstantin L. Vodopyanov

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Hofstetter, D., Faist, J. (2003). High Performance Quantum Cascade Lasers and Their Applications. In: Sorokina, I.T., Vodopyanov, K.L. (eds) Solid-State Mid-Infrared Laser Sources. Topics in Applied Physics, vol 89. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36491-9_2

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