Abstract-Coupled cavity terahertz quantum cascade lasers with integrated emission monitoring

Coupled cavity terahertz quantum cascade lasers with integrated emission monitoring Michael Krall, Michael Martl, Dominic Bachmann, Christoph Deutsch, Aaron M. Andrews, Werner Schrenk, Gottfried Strasser, and Karl Unterrainer  »View Author Affiliations

http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-23-3-3581

Optics Express, Vol. 23, Issue 3, pp. 3581-3588 (2015)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.23.003581

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We demonstrate the on-chip generation and detection of terahertz radiation in coupled cavity systems using a single semiconductor heterostructure. Multiple sections of a terahertz quantum cascade laser structure in a double-metal waveguide are optically coupled and operate either as a laser or an integrated emission monitor. A detailed analysis of the photon-assisted carrier transport in the active region below threshold reveals the detection mechanism for photons emitted by the very same structure above threshold. Configurations with a single laser cavity and two coupled laser cavities are studied. It is shown that the integrated detector can be used for spatial sensing of the light intensity within a coupled cavity.

© 2015 Optical Society of America