Improved CW operation of quantum cascade lasers with epitaxial-side heat-sinking

Claire Gmachl, A. Michael Sergent, Alessandro Tredicucci, Federico Capasso, Albert L. Hutchinson, Deborah L. Sivco, James N. Baillargeon, S. N.George Chu, Alfred Y. Cho

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

102 Scopus citations

Abstract

First results on the epilayer-side mounting of quantum cascade (QC) lasers are presented. Operated in continuous-wave (CW) mode, these lasers are superior to substrate-bonded devices. The maximum CW temperature is raised by 20 K (up to 175 K), and, at comparable heat sink temperatures, the performance with respect to threshold current, output power, and slope efficiency is greatly improved for the epilayer-side mounted devices. QC-laser-specific mounting procedures are discussed in this letter, such as the high reflectivity coating of the back-facet and the front-facet cleaving after mounting. Modeling of the temperature distribution inside the QC laser shows a strong temperature gradient within the active waveguide core, which partly explains the still low maximum CW operating temperatures.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1369-1371
Number of pages3
JournalIEEE Photonics Technology Letters
Volume11
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1999
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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