Nanowire terahertz quantum cascade lasers

http://arxiv.org/abs/1301.1258

Quantum cascade lasers made of nanowire superlattices are proposed. The dissipative quantum dynamics of their carriers is theoretically investigated using non-equilibrium Green functions. Their transport and gain properties are calculated for varying nanowire thickness, evidencing the transition from the classical to the quantum wire regime. Our calculation shows that the lateral confinement provided by the nanowires allow an increase of the maximum operation temperature and a strong reduction of the current density threshold compared to conventional terahertz quantum cascade lasers.