Predication of the design of terahertz quantum cascade lasers operating at room-temperature

Research scientist Li Wang, Tsung-Tse Lin, Ke Wang (visiting researcher) from the terahertz (THz) device team, RIKEN proposed the designs of THz-wave quantum cascade laser(QCL) with optical gains above the cavity threshold at room temperature, the initial experiments demonstrate at 202 K. The quantum transport dynamic for predicting the design is based on the method of non-equilibrium green's function (NEGF), which is partly supported by Thomas Grange (software developer) from nextnano, GmbH, Germany. The research opens up a designs path to make the THz-QCL escaping the additional cooling components which are basically required in real applications at present. This research is accepted by APEX.
Extensive applications in THz wave have been rapidly developed, for examples, in wireless communications, high-speed signal processing, spectroscopy, astronomy and space science, non-destructive detection. However, most present-day equipment available for THz generation is bulky, expensive, and often suffer from low output powers. THz radiation based on quantum cascade lasers is treated as the most promising candidate for a compact integration with high output powers, but it only operates below room-temperatures due to thermally degradation mechanisms. This research shows a different designs path with high tolerance on temperatures, to maintains the optical gain for room-temperatures operations.

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li.wang@riken.jp

RIKEN is Japan's largest comprehensive research institution renowned for high-quality research in a diverse range of scientific disciplines. Founded in 1917 as a private research foundation in Tokyo, RIKEN has grown rapidly in size and scope, today encompassing a network of world-class research centers and institutes across Japan.

This release was published on openPR.