Mid-infrared Wavelength Region Research Articles

Design and fabrication of a liquid crystal retarder for the mid- and far-infrared wavelength ranges

We designed and fabricated a liquid crystal (LC) retarder that operates within mid-infrared (MIR) and far-infrared (FIR) wavelength regions. Fluorine-based mixed LCs and BaF2 substrates were employed to assemble the LC retarder on the basis of their absorption spectra. A thin NiCr film, which served as a semitransparent electrode in the infrared region, was also formed on the BaF2 substrate. The fabricated LC retarder showed transmittances of 40% and 42% at wavelengths of 3.88µm and 9.5µm, respectively. Here, we demonstrated phase shift that can be electrically controlled to exceed π/2. Our LC retarder can be applied to the polarization modulation in the MIR and FIR wavelength regions.

Mid-infrared second-harmonic generation and its red-shift signal induced by cross-phase modulation in an AsSe2 soft glass microstructured optical fiber

In this study, we investigate an AsSe2 soft glass microstructured optical fiber (MOF) featuring a hexagonal arrangement of six holes. The MOF is subjected to femtosecond laser pumping, employing a pump wavelength range spanning from 3950 nm to 4100 nm. Our experimental results reveal an intriguing outcome: a tunable mid-infrared second-harmonic generation (SHG) effect is observed, yielding a wavelength range of ∼ 1980 nm to ∼ 2203 nm. The maximum conversion efficiency is achieved at 4100 nm with a power of 130 mW, which can be up to 9.2E-5. The observed SHG is primarily due to the surface nonlinearity polarization at the core-cladding interface. Additionally, we increase the additional degrees of freedom of the SH signal by strong third-order nonlinearity, and demonstrate that strong self-phase modulation (SPM) of pump and cross-phase modulation (XPM) of SH signal help broaden the SH signal by means of generating new wavelength lobes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that strong XPM-based SH signal is observed in an optical fiber in the mid-infrared wavelength region. The realized strong second-order and third-order nonlinearity might expand the fundamental physical mechanism of SHG in optical fiber especially in mid-infrared region, which would have important applications in telecommunications, laser technology, and quantum photonics.

Mid-infrared vortex array generation with a tunable singularity in an Er:YAP laser

Optical vortex arrays are structured light fields with multiple phase singularities that have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Here, we demonstrate the direct generation of an optical vortex array with tunable singularity from a mid-infrared Er: yttrium aluminum perovskite laser under the annular-pumping regime. An axicon combined with a plano–convex lens is used to reshape the pumping beam into an annular one to match the different orders of the Laguerre–Gaussian mode. By adjusting the pump power and the lateral displacement of the gain medium, a tunable vortex array with one to four singularities is obtained in the ∼3-μm mid-infrared wavelength region. The lasing characteristics of the mid-infrared vortex arrays are evaluated and discussed. The experimental results can shed some light on the generation of mid-infrared optical vortex laser arrays and their applications.

Optical mid-infrared modulator based on D-shaped photonic crystal fiber and GST phase changing material

Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) have recently attracted compelling attention because of their numerous applications, particularly in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength region. In this paper, we have presented and analyzed mid-IR optical modulator based on phase-changing material (PCM) known as germanium-antimony-tellurium (GST) and D-shaped PCF. The modulation process can be performed as the GST material’s phase undergoes a transition between amorphous (on) and crystalline (off) states. To analyze the proposed design numerically, full vectorial finite element method (FVFEM) is employed. Further, we studied the light propagation through the suggested structure using 3D finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The optical losses of the fundamental transverse electric (TE) mode supported by the reported structure in the two GST states are studied. The obtained extinction ratio (ER) of the proposed modulator approaches 302.61 dB, whereas the insertion loss (IL) is less than 0.00014 dB throughout the wavelength range from 3 to 5.8 μm at a device length (LD) of 0.2 mm. Therefore, the suggested modulator can be utilized in photonic integrated circuits that require high ER, very low IL, and large optical bandwidth.

Gate-enhanced broadband photodetection based on Cd3As2/graphene Dirac heterojunctions

Dirac semimetals are promising materials for broadband and fast photodetection due to their gapless nature. Dirac heterostructures consisting of 2D Dirac semimetal graphene and its 3D analogue Cd3As2 should take the ascendency of high carrier mobility in both materials, while overcome the limitation of weak optical absorption in graphene-based devices and suppress the dark current occurring in pure Cd3As2 photodetectors. Herein, we report high-performance photodetectors based on a 3D Dirac semimetal Cd3As2/monolayer graphene heterostructure, which show broadband photoresponse from visible (488 nm) to mid-infrared (10 μm) wavelength region at room temperature without an external bias. The photodetectors are with a maximum responsivity of 0.34 mA/W at 488 nm and a fast response speed of ∼13 μs. In addition, the photoresponse can be enhanced by a gate voltage even in a long wavelength region. Our work suggests that the combination of the graphene and 3D Dirac semimetal is promising for high-performance photodetectors with broadband detection, high sensitivity, and rapid response.

Promotion of Specific Single-Transverse-Mode Beam Characteristics for GaSb-Based Narrow Ridge Waveguide Lasers via Customized Parameter Design

GaSb-based single-transverse-mode narrow ridge waveguide (RW) lasers with high power and simultaneous good beam quality have broad application prospects in the mid-infrared wavelength region. Yet its design and formation have not been investigated systematically, while the beam characteristics that affect their suitability for specific applications remain rarely analyzed and optimized. The present work addresses these issues by theoretically establishing a waveguide parameter domain that generalizes the overall possible combinations of ridge widths and etch depths that support single-transverse-mode operation for GaSb-based RW lasers. These results are applied to develop two distinct and representative waveguide designs derived from two proposed major optimization routes of model gain expansion and index-guiding enhancement. The designs were evaluated experimentally based on prototype 1-mm cavity-length RW lasers in the 1950 nm wavelength range, which were fabricated with waveguides having perpendicular ridge and smooth side-walls realized through optimized dry etching conditions. The model gain expanded RW laser design with a relatively shallow-etched (i.e., 1.55 upmum) and wide ridge (i.e., 7 upmum) yielded the highest single-transverse-mode power to date of 258 mW with a narrow lateral divergence angle of 11.1^circ full width at half maximum at 800 mA under room-temperature continuous-wave operation, which offers promising prospects in pumping and coupling applications. Meanwhile, the index-guiding enhanced RW laser design with a relatively deeply etched (i.e., 2.05 upmum) and narrow ridge (i.e., 4 upmum) provided a highly stable and nearly astigmatism-free fundamental mode emission with an excellent beam quality of M^2 factor around 1.5 over the entire operating current range, which is preferable for seeding external cavity applications and complex optical systems.

Miniaturized CO2 Gas Sensor Using 20% ScAlN-Based Pyroelectric Detector.

NDIR CO2 gas sensors using a 10-cm-long gas channel and CMOS-compatible 12% doped ScAlN pyroelectric detector have previously demonstrated detection limits down to 25 ppm and fast response time of ∼2 s. Here, we increase the doping concentration of Sc to 20% in our ScAlN-based pyroelectric detector and miniaturize the gas channel by ∼65× volume with length reduction from 10 to 4 cm and diameter reduction from 5 to 1 mm. The CMOS-compatible 20% ScAlN-based pyroelectric detectors are fabricated over 8-in. wafers, allowing cost reduction leveraging on semiconductor manufacturing. Cross-sectional TEM images show the presence of abnormally oriented grains in the 20% ScAlN sensing layer in the pyroelectric detector stack. Optically, the absorption spectrum of the pyroelectric detector stack across the mid-infrared wavelength region shows ∼50% absorption at the CO2 absorption wavelength of 4.26 μm. The pyroelectric coefficient of these 20% ScAlN with abnormally oriented grains shows, in general, a higher value compared to that for 12% ScAlN. While keeping the temperature variation constant at 2 °C, we note that the pyroelectric coefficient seems to increase with background temperature. CO2 gas responses are measured for 20% ScAlN-based pyroelectric detectors in both 10-cm-long and 4-cm-long gas channels, respectively. The results show that for the miniaturized CO2 gas sensor, we are able to measure the gas response from 5000 ppm down to 100 ppm of CO2 gas concentration with CO2 gas response time of ∼5 s, sufficient for practical applications as the average outdoor CO2 level is ∼400 ppm. The selectivity of this miniaturized CO2 gas sensor is also tested by mixing CO2 with nitrogen and 49% sulfur hexafluoride, respectively. The results show high selectivity to CO2 with nitrogen and 49% sulfur hexafluoride each causing a minimum ∼0.39% and ∼0.36% signal voltage change, respectively. These results bring promise to compact and miniature low cost CO2 gas sensors based on pyroelectric detectors, which could possibly be integrated with consumer electronics for real-time air quality monitoring.

Ultrafast vibrational excitation transfer on resonant antenna lattices revealed by two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy.

High-quality lattice resonances in arrays of infrared antennas operating in an open-cavity regime form polariton states by means of strong coupling to molecular vibrations. We studied polaritons formed by carbonyl stretching modes of (poly)methyl methacrylate on resonant antenna arrays using femtosecond 2DIR spectroscopy. At a normal incidence of excitation light, doubly degenerate antenna-lattice resonances (ALRs) form two polariton states: a lower polariton and an upper polariton. At an off-normal incidence geometry of 2DIR experiments, the ALR degeneracy is lifted and, consequently, the polariton energies are split. We spectrally resolved and tracked the time-dependent evolution of a cross-peak signal associated with the excitation of reservoir states and the unidirectional transfer of the excess energy to lower polaritons. Bi-exponential decay of the cross-peak suggests that a reversible energy exchange between the bright and dark lower polaritons occurs with a characteristic transfer time of ∼200fs. The cross-peak signal further decays within ∼800fs, which is consistent with the relaxation time of the carbonyl stretching vibration and with the dephasing time of the ALR. An increase in the excitation pulse intensity leads to saturation of the cross-peak amplitude and a modification of the relaxation dynamics. Using quantum-mechanical modeling, we found that the kinetic scheme that captures all the experimental observations implies that only the bright lower polariton accepts the energy from the reservoir, suggesting that transfer occurs via a mechanism involving dipole-dipole interaction. An efficient reservoir-to-polariton transfer can play an important role in developing novel room-temperature quantum optical devices in the mid-infrared wavelength region.

Preparation of infrared axial gradient refractive index lens based on powder stacking and the sintering thermal diffusion method

The gradient refractive index (GRIN) lens is widely used in the visible band, but it is still elusive in the infrared band. In this paper, we propose a new method of fabricating chalcogenide GRIN by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technology based on powder stacking and sintering thermal diffusion. We replaced Se in Ge11.5As24Se64.5 glass with S and prepared several Ge11.5As24Se(64.5-x)Sx glasses as infrared transmission GRIN materials. The maximum refractive index difference (Δn) of the matrix glass is 0.18. The effects of heat treatment temperature and time on diffusion depth and concentration-dependent thermal diffusion coefficient were investigated. The diffusion depth of 100 µm was demonstrated under the condition of 400 °C-48 h by this method. The thickness of the glass layer can be well controlled by powder stacking. The obtained GRIN glass is highly transparent in the near- and mid-infrared wavelength region.

Mid-infrared quasi-BIC resonances with sub-wavelength slot mode profiles in germanium-based coupled guided-mode resonance structures

We experimentally demonstrate a novel quasi-bound state in the continuum (BIC) resonance in the mid-infrared wavelength region with the resonant electric field confined as a slot mode within a low-refractive-index medium sandwiched between high-index layers. The structures studied here comprise coupled amorphous germanium guided-mode resonance (GMR) structures with a top one-dimensional grating layer and bottom uniform layer separated by a low-index silicon nitride layer. The slot-mode profile within the silicon nitride layer with mode field confinement > 30 % is achieved as a solution to the electromagnetic wave propagation through the coupled GMR structure with the dominant field component being perpendicular to the layers. The quasi-BIC resonance in symmetric 1D grating structures can be observed even at normal incidence when considering a realistic excitation beam with finite angular spread. The measured transmission peak is found to redshift (remain almost unchanged) under classical (full-conical) mounting conditions. The highest quality factor of ∼ 400 is experimentally extracted at normal incidence under a classical mounting condition with a resonance peak at 3.41 μm wavelength. Such slot-mode GMR structures with appropriately chosen low-index intermediate layers can find applications in resonantly enhanced sensing and active photonic devices.

Surface phonon resonance enhanced Goos-Hänchen shift and its sensing application in the mid-infrared region.

The effect of surface phonon resonance (SPhR) and long range SPhR (LRSPhR) on the Goos-Hänchen shift (GHS) in the mid-infrared wavelength region are investigated. The GHS is significantly enhanced around the resonant angles of SPhR and LRSPhR with the p-polarized incident light. A highly sensitive refractive index sensor based on the enhanced GHS is proposed. The LRSPhR shows higher GHS and sensitivity than those of SPhR. The GHS and refractive index sensitivity can be further enhanced by engineering the damping rate of the phononic material. These results provide a potential route toward the large GHS and high refractive index sensitivity, thus opening up new opportunities for high sensitivity optical sensors based on GHS at the mid-infrared wavelength range.

A Review on Rhenium Disulfide: Synthesis Approaches, Optical Properties, and Applications in Pulsed Lasers.

Rhenium Disulfide (ReS2) has evolved as a novel 2D transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material which has promising applications in optoelectronics and photonics because of its distinctive anisotropic optical properties. Saturable absorption property of ReS2 has been utilized to fabricate saturable absorber (SA) devices to generate short pulses in lasers systems. The results were outstanding, including high-repetition-rate pulses, large modulation depth, multi-wavelength pulses, broadband operation and low saturation intensity. In this review, we emphasize on formulating SAs based on ReS2 to produce pulsed lasers in the visible, near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelength regions with pulse durations down to femtosecond using mode-locking or Q-switching technique. We outline ReS2 synthesis techniques and integration platforms concerning solid-state and fiber-type lasers. We discuss the laser performance based on SAs attributes. Lastly, we draw conclusions and discuss challenges and future directions that will help to advance the domain of ultrafast photonic technology.

Mid-infrared nanosecond pulse generation from a graphene modulated Er3+-doped fluoride fiber laser

We demonstrate a 2792.0 nm passively Q-switched Er3+-doped fluoride fiber laser using a graphene saturable absorber mirror (GSAM). Through optimizing the cavity design and the parameters of the GSAM, stable pulses are obtained with a repetition frequency ranging from 60.2 to 221.8 kHz. The shortest pulse duration is 238.2 ns, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the shortest passively Q-switching pulse obtained in 3 μm mid-infrared wavelength region. The maximum average output power is 535 mW, and the single pulse energy is 2.53 μJ. Further improvement of the pulse energy and pulse width is possible by optimizing the bleaching energy of the GSAM.

Mid-infrared fluoroindate glass long-period fiber grating by femtosecond laser inscription

A long-period fiber grating (LPFG) was fabricated in a home-made fluoroindate fiber using a femtosecond laser, and attenuation peaks as strong as −17 dB, with sharp and predictable spectral resonances, were obtained over the transmission spectrum. A strain up to 2000 με applied on the LPFG yielded a resonant wavelength redshift of circa 8.46 nm. The strain sensitivity of this LPFG in fluoroindate fibers could pave the way for a new range of applications in the mid-infrared wavelength regions, such as tunable optical rejection band filters in fiber amplifiers and sensing devices.

Ultrafast Fiber Lasers with Low-Dimensional Saturable Absorbers: Status and Prospects.

Wide-spectral saturable absorption (SA) in low-dimensional (LD) nanomaterials such as zero-, one-, and two-dimensional materials has been proven experimentally with outstanding results, including low saturation intensity, deep modulation depth, and fast carrier recovery time. LD nanomaterials can therefore be used as SAs for mode-locking or Q-switching to generate ultrafast fiber laser pulses with a high repetition rate and short duration in the visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared wavelength regions. Here, we review the recent development of emerging LD nanomaterials as SAs for ultrafast mode-locked fiber laser applications in different dispersion regimes such as anomalous and normal dispersion regimes of the laser cavity operating in the near-infrared region, especially at ~1550 nm. The preparation methods, nonlinear optical properties of LD SAs, and various integration schemes for incorporating LD SAs into fiber laser systems are introduced. In addition to these, externally (electrically or optically) controlled pulsed fiber laser behavior and other characteristics of various LD SAs are summarized. Finally, the perspectives and challenges facing LD SA-based mode-locked ultrafast fiber lasers are highlighted.

3.46 μm Q-switched Er3+:ZBLAN fiber laser based on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror

By adopting a InAs based semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM), we have demonstrated a 3.46 μm passively Q-switched Er3+:ZBLAN fiber laser. An amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) seeded 1973 nm pump source is introduced to enhance the temporal stability. Stable 3.46 μm Q-switched pulse trains are obtained with a maximum repetition rate of 58.71 kHz and corresponding pulse width of 2.47 μs. The maximum average output power and single pulse energy are 63 mW and 1.4 μJ, respectively. The pulse characteristics with respect to the two pump powers are also evaluated. The results prove that the commercial SESAMs in stock have the capacity to extend the operation wavelength to the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength region beyond 3.0 μm.

Indium selenide for Q-switched pulse generation in a mid-infrared fiber laser

A novel broadband two-dimensional material, indium selenide (InSe), is prepared and characterized in the mid-infrared wavelength region. Stable Q-switching pulses are obtained from a 2.8 μm Er-ZBLAN fiber laser based on the InSe saturable absorber.

Fiber-based optical frequency comb at 3.3 µm for broadband spectroscopy of hydrocarbons [Invited

A 125 MHz fiber-based frequency comb source in the mid-infrared wavelength region is presented. The source is based on difference frequency generation from a polarization-maintaining Er-doped fiber pump laser and covers a spectrum between 2900 cm−1 and 3400 cm−1 with a simultaneous bandwidth of 170 cm−1 and an average output power up to 70 mW. The source is equipped with actuators and active feedback loops, ensuring long-term stability of the repetition rate, output power, and spectral envelope. An absorption spectrum of ethane and methane was measured using a Fourier transform spectrometer to verify the applicability of the mid-infrared comb to multispecies detection. The robustness and good long- and short-term stability of the source make it suitable for optical frequency comb spectroscopy of hydrocarbons.

A new type of ultra-broadband microstructured fiber sensor based on surface plasmon resonance

Microstructured fiber (MF) sensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) have been widely investigated because they have many merits including high sensitivity, label-free and real-time detection and so on, thus they possess extensive applications such as in food safety control, environmental monitoring, biomolecular analytes detection, antibody-antigen interaction, liquid detection and many others. However, most of reported SPR-based MF sensors can only work in the visible or near-infrared wavelength region. Hence, the investigation of high-performance mid-infrared SPR-based MF sensors is a challenge task. In this paper, with the aim of overcoming the above limitation, a new type of high-sensitivity SPR-based MF sensor coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) layer is proposed. The proposed sensor can work in both the near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelength region. Benefitting from its two-core and single analyte channel structure, our proposed sensor can effectively eliminate the interference among neighboring analyte channels, improving its signal-to-noise ratio, and achieving high-sensitivity detection in ultra-broadband wavelength range. By using the full-vector finite method with the PML boundary conditions, the sensing properties of our proposed sensor are numerically studied in detail. The numerical results show that the resonance wavelength of the proposed sensor shifts toward a long wavelength region as the refractive index of analyte increases from 1.423 to 1.513, and a similar phenomenon can be found if the thickness of the ITO layer increases from 40 nm to 60 nm. Nevertheless, the wavelength sensitivity of the proposed sensor decreases with the increase of the diameter of the hole located in the fiber core region. On the other hand, when the refractive index of analyte varies in a large range of 1.423–1.513, the proposed sensor can operate in an ultra-broad wavelength range of 1.548–2.796 μm, and the average wavelength sensitivity is as high as 13964 nm/refractive index unit (RIU). Moreover, the maximum wavelength sensitivity and refractive index resolution increase up to 17900 nm/RIU and 5.59 × 10<sup>–7</sup> RIU, respectively. Hence, our proposed SPR-based MF sensor can be applied to environmental monitoring, biomolecular analyte detection and chemical detection.

Infrared photodetector sensitized by InAs quantum dots embedded near an Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs heterointerface

Mid-infrared sensors detect infrared radiation emitted from objects, and are actually widely used for monitoring gases and moisture as well as for imaging objects at or above room temperature. Infrared photodetectors offer fast detection, but many devices cannot provide high responsivity at room temperature. Here we demonstrate infrared sensing with high responsivity at room temperature. The central part of our device is an Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs heterostructure containing InAs quantum-dot (QD) layer with a 10-nm-thick GaAs spacer. In this device, the electrons that have been accumulated at the heterointerface are transferred to the conduction band of the Al0.3Ga0.7As barrier by absorbing infrared photons and the following drift due to the electric field at the interface. These intraband transitions at the heterointerface are sensitized by the QDs, suggesting that the presence of the QDs increases the strength of the intraband transition near the heterointerface. The room-temperature responsivity spectrum exhibits several peaks in the mid-infrared wavelength region, corresponding to transitions from the InAs QD and wetting layer states as well as the transition from the quantized state of the triangular potential well at the two-dimensional heterointerface. We find that the responsivity is almost independent of the temperature and the maximum value at 295 K is 0.8 A/W at ~ 6.6 µm for a bias of 1 V, where the specific detectivity is 1.8times {10}^{10} cmHz1/2/W.