Random lasers are a class of devices in which feedback arises from multiple elastic scattering in a highly disordered structure,providing an almost ideal light source for artefact-free imaging due to achievable low sp...Random lasers are a class of devices in which feedback arises from multiple elastic scattering in a highly disordered structure,providing an almost ideal light source for artefact-free imaging due to achievable low spatial coherence.However,for many applications ranging from sensing and spectroscopy to speckle-free imaging,it is essential to have high-radiance sources operating in continuous-wave(CW).In this paper,we demonstrate CW operation of a random laser using an electrically pumped quantum-cascade laser gain medium in which a bi-dimensional(2D)random distribution of air holes is patterned into the top metal waveguide.We obtain a highly collimated vertical emission at ~3 THz,with a 430 GHz bandwidth,device operation up to 110 K,peak(pulsed)power of 21 mW,and CW emission of 1.7 mW.Furthermore,we show that an external cavity formed with a movable mirror can be used to tune a random laser,obtaining continuous frequency tuning over 11 GHz.展开更多
Quasi-crystal distributed feedback lasers do not require any form of mirror cavity to amplify and extract radiation.Once implemented on the top surface of a semiconductor laser,a quasi-crystal pattern can be used to t...Quasi-crystal distributed feedback lasers do not require any form of mirror cavity to amplify and extract radiation.Once implemented on the top surface of a semiconductor laser,a quasi-crystal pattern can be used to tune both the radiation feedback and the extraction of highly radiative and high-quality-factor optical modes that do not have a defined symmetric or anti-symmetric nature.Therefore,this methodology offers the possibility to achieve efficient emission,combined with tailored spectra and controlled beam divergence.Here,we apply this concept to a onedimensional quantum cascade wire laser.By lithographically patterning a series of air slits with different widths,following the Octonacci sequence,on the top metal layer of a double-metal quantum cascade laser operating at THz frequencies,we can vary the emission from single-frequency-mode to multimode over a 530-GHz bandwidth,achieving a maximum peak optical power of 240mW(190 mW)in multimode(single-frequency-mode)lasers,with record slope efficiencies for multimode surface-emitting disordered THz lasers up to ≈570 mW/A at 78 K and ≈720 mW/A at 20 K and wall-plug efficiencies of η≈1%.展开更多
基金partly supported by the European Union ERC Consolidator Grant SPRINT(681379)the EPSRC Programme Grant‘HyperTerahertz’(EP/P021859/1)the support of the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation.
文摘Random lasers are a class of devices in which feedback arises from multiple elastic scattering in a highly disordered structure,providing an almost ideal light source for artefact-free imaging due to achievable low spatial coherence.However,for many applications ranging from sensing and spectroscopy to speckle-free imaging,it is essential to have high-radiance sources operating in continuous-wave(CW).In this paper,we demonstrate CW operation of a random laser using an electrically pumped quantum-cascade laser gain medium in which a bi-dimensional(2D)random distribution of air holes is patterned into the top metal waveguide.We obtain a highly collimated vertical emission at ~3 THz,with a 430 GHz bandwidth,device operation up to 110 K,peak(pulsed)power of 21 mW,and CW emission of 1.7 mW.Furthermore,we show that an external cavity formed with a movable mirror can be used to tune a random laser,obtaining continuous frequency tuning over 11 GHz.
基金supported by the European Research Council through the ERC Consolidator Grant(681379)SPRINTsupport from the EPSRC(HyperTerahertz programme,EP/P021859/1)support from the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation.
文摘Quasi-crystal distributed feedback lasers do not require any form of mirror cavity to amplify and extract radiation.Once implemented on the top surface of a semiconductor laser,a quasi-crystal pattern can be used to tune both the radiation feedback and the extraction of highly radiative and high-quality-factor optical modes that do not have a defined symmetric or anti-symmetric nature.Therefore,this methodology offers the possibility to achieve efficient emission,combined with tailored spectra and controlled beam divergence.Here,we apply this concept to a onedimensional quantum cascade wire laser.By lithographically patterning a series of air slits with different widths,following the Octonacci sequence,on the top metal layer of a double-metal quantum cascade laser operating at THz frequencies,we can vary the emission from single-frequency-mode to multimode over a 530-GHz bandwidth,achieving a maximum peak optical power of 240mW(190 mW)in multimode(single-frequency-mode)lasers,with record slope efficiencies for multimode surface-emitting disordered THz lasers up to ≈570 mW/A at 78 K and ≈720 mW/A at 20 K and wall-plug efficiencies of η≈1%.
