GaN-based terahertz quantum cascade lasers

Wataru Terashima; Hideki Hirayama

doi:10.1117/12.2184199

13 May 2015 GaN-based terahertz quantum cascade lasers

Wataru Terashima, Hideki Hirayama

Proceedings Volume 9483, Terahertz Physics, Devices, and Systems IX: Advanced Applications in Industry and Defense; 948304 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2184199
Event: SPIE Sensing Technology + Applications, 2015, Baltimore, MD, United States

Abstract

III-nitride semiconductors having huge longitudinal optical phonon energies are promising as materials to solve a problem of "development of operational frequency range (5-12 THz)" on THz-QCLs. In this study, for the purpose of THz lasing from target subband levels, we designed unique quantum cascade (QC) structures whose active regions consisted of two quantum wells (QWs) for one period and the number of wave-functions contributed to lasing is limited to minimum 3 subband levels. (i.e., Pure 3-level laser system). We fabricated THz-QCLs with QC structures of a pure 3- level laser system (100-200 periods) through a radio-frequency molecular beam epitaxy (RF-MBE) and a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on MOCVD-growth AlGaN/AlN templates grown on c-plane sapphire substrates. Clear satellite peaks in XRD analyses could be observed, indicating that layer structures were stacked with a good periodicity. By comparing data with simulation spectra, it was found that error of film thicknesses were 1-3 %. We observed sharp lasing spectra with peaks at frequencies of ~5.5 THz and ~7.0 THz whose full width at half maximum (FWHM) values were close to those of resolution of FTIR spectrometer, when we tried pulse current injection measurements into THz-QCL devices. We successfully for the first time realized GaN-based THz-QCL devices lasing at almost the same frequencies as the target ones by designing a 2QWs-type QC structure with a pure 3-level laser system. We also successfully achieved lasing at ~5.5 and ~7.0 THz, which are highest reported to date for any kinds of THz- QCLs.

Citation Download Citation

Wataru Terashima and Hideki Hirayama "GaN-based terahertz quantum cascade lasers", Proc. SPIE 9483, Terahertz Physics, Devices, and Systems IX: Advanced Applications in Industry and Defense, 948304 (13 May 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2184199

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available