To date, the production of continuous-wave terahertz (THz) sources based on intracavity difference-frequency generation from mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers operating at room temperature has proved elusive. A critical problem is that, to achieve a large nonlinear susceptibility for frequency conversion, the active region of the quantum cascade laser requires high doping, which elevates the lasing threshold current density. Now, Quan-Yong Lu and colleagues from Northwestern University in the USA have overcome this problem and demonstrated a room-temperature continuous-wave THz source based on difference-frequency generation in quantum cascade lasers. They designed quantum-well structures based on In0.53Ga0.47As/In0.52Al0.48As material system for two mid-infrared wavelengths. The average doping in the active region was about 2.5 × 1016 cm−3. A buried ridge, buried composite distributed-feedback waveguide with the Čerenkov phase-matching scheme was used to reduce the waveguide loss and enhance heat dissipation. As a result, single-mode emission at 3.6 THz was observed at 293 K. The continuous-wave THz power reached 3 μW with a conversion efficiency of 0.44 mW W−2 from mid-infrared to THz waves. Using a similar device design, a THz peak power of 1.4 mW was achieved in pulse mode.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Horiuchi, N. Monolithic terahertz source. Nature Photon 8, 585 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2014.185
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2014.185