Abstract
We report designs and experimental demonstrations of a widely tunable single-mode quantum cascade laser array based on slot waveguide structures in the mid-infrared region. The laser array device realized a continuous tuning range of 71 cm-1 from 9.66 μm to 10.37 μm at 300K only using the current tuning without any external heatsink temperature adjustments, in good agreement with the design. Stable single-mode operations free of undesired mode-hops have been obtained over the whole tuning range. Another slot waveguide QCL array with a 41 cm-1 continuous tuning range around 7.3 μm has also been realized with the same design principle, demonstrating the universal applicability of the array design. The broadly continuous tuning with simple processing makes the array device a suitable candidate for mid-infrared sensing and spectroscopy application.
Highlights
Single-mode tunable quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) with broad wavelength tuning range and narrow linewidth have become significant radiation sources for mid-infrared spectroscopy application, especially the multiple trace gas sensing with high sensitivity and high selectivity [1,2]
We presented both the design and experimental demonstration of a 10-element broadly tunable single-mode QCL array based on slot waveguide structures
The array successfully exhibits an extended continuous tuning range based on the single slot QCL
Summary
Single-mode tunable quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) with broad wavelength tuning range and narrow linewidth have become significant radiation sources for mid-infrared spectroscopy application, especially the multiple trace gas sensing with high sensitivity and high selectivity [1,2]. Such laser systems have already been demonstrated and commercialized by using external cavity QCLs (EC-QCLs) [3]. By optimizing the slot periods and number, a wide single-mode continuous tuning range of ∼ 42 cm−1 based on slot waveguide QCLs using pure current tuning under room temperature (RT=300 K) has been reported [17]. Using the same array design principle, we report another QCL array composed of five slot waveguide QCLs, which can be continuously tuned between 7.25 and 7.48 μm
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