Abstract-InAs based terahertz quantum cascade lasers

Martin Brandstetter^1,a), Martin A. Kainz¹, Tobias Zederbauer²,Michael Krall¹, Sebastian Schönhuber¹, Hermann Detz³, Werner Schrenk², Aaron Maxwell Andrews², Gottfried Strasser² and Karl Unterrainer¹
 HIDE AFFILIATIONS
1 Photonics Institute and Center for Micro- and Nanostructures, Technische Universität Wien, Gusshausstrasse 27-29, 1040 Vienna, Austria
2 Institute for Solid State Electronics and Center for Micro- and Nanostructures, Technische Universität Wien, Floragasse 7, 1040 Vienna, Austria
3 Austrian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria
a) Electronic mail: martin.brandstetter@tuwien.ac.at
Appl. Phys. Lett. 108, 011109 (2016); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4939551

http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/apl/108/1/10.1063/1.4939551?TRACK=RSS

We demonstrate terahertz lasing emission from a quantum cascade structure, realized with InAs/AlAs0.16Sb0.84heterostructures. Due to the lower effective electron mass, InAs based active regions are expected to provide a higher optical gain compared to structures consisting of GaAsor InGaAs. The growth by molecular beam epitaxy enabled the fabrication of monolayer-thick barriers, required for the active region, which is based on a 3-well resonantphonon depletion design. Devices were processed in a double-metal waveguide geometry to ensure high mode confinement and low optical losses. Lasing emission at 3.8 THz was observed at liquid helium temperatures by applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the layered structure in order to suppress parasitic scattering channels. These results demonstrate the feasibility of InAs based active regions for terahertz quantum cascade lasers, potentially enabling higher operating temperatures.