Quantum Cascade Laser

Jérôme Faist; Federico Capasso; Deborah L. Sivco; Carlo Sirtori; Albert L. Hutchinson; Alfred Y. Cho

doi:10.1126/science.264.5158.553

Abstract

A semiconductor injection laser that differs in a fundamental way from diode lasers has been demonstrated. It is built out of quantum semiconductor structures that were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and designed by band structure engineering. Electrons streaming down a potential staircase sequentially emit photons at the steps. The steps consist of coupled quantum wells in which population inversion between discrete conduction band excited states is achieved by control of tunneling. A strong narrowing of the emission spectrum, above threshold, provides direct evidence of laser action at a wavelength of 4.2 micrometers with peak powers in excess of 8 milliwatts in pulsed operation. In quantum cascade lasers, the wavelength, entirely determined by quantum confinement, can be tailored from the mid-infrared to the submillimeter wave region in the same heterostructure material.

Keywords

LaserPopulation inversionOptoelectronicsQuantum tunnellingQuantum wellCascadeSemiconductor laser theoryQuantum cascade laserQuantum dot laserPhysicsExcited stateMolecular beam epitaxyDiodeElectronWavelengthQuantumHeterojunctionSemiconductorOpticsMaterials scienceAtomic physicsChemistryNanotechnologyEpitaxyQuantum mechanics

Affiliated Institutions

AT&T (United States) US

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Publication Info

Year: 1994
Type: article
Volume: 264
Issue: 5158
Pages: 553-556
Citations: 4367
Access: Closed

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APA Style

                            
                                
                                    Jérôme Faist, 
                                
                                    Federico Capasso, 
                                
                                    Deborah L. Sivco
                                
                                et al.
                            
                            (1994). 
                            Quantum Cascade Laser. 
                            Science
                            , 264
                            (5158)
                            , 553-556.
                            https://doi.org/10.1126/science.264.5158.553
                        

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1126/science.264.5158.553