High power edge-cum-surface emitting terahertz laser arrays phased locked by vacuum guided plasmon waves

Jin, Yuan; Zhu, Qiyao; Reno, John L.; Kumar, Sushil

doi:10.1063/1.5142860

Title: High power edge-cum-surface emitting terahertz laser arrays phased locked by vacuum guided plasmon waves

Journal Article · 31 March 2020 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5142860 · OSTI ID:1618091

^[1]; Zhu, Qiyao ^[1]; Reno, John L. ^[2];

^[1]

Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (United States)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Terahertz semiconductor quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) are widely implemented with metallic cavities that support low-loss plasmonic optical modes at long wavelengths. However, resonant optical modes in such cavities suffer from poor radiative characteristics due to their subwavelength transverse dimensions. Consequently, single-mode terahertz QCLs with metallic cavities and large (>100 mW) output power have only been realized in the surface-emitting configuration that affords a large radiating surface. Here, we demonstrate a method to enhance radiative outcoupling from such plasmonic lasers for high-power emission in the edge-emitting (end-fire or longitudinal) direction. Single-sided plasmon waves propagating in vacuum are resonantly excited in surrounding medium of metallic cavities with the QCL semiconductor medium. The vacuum guided plasmon waves with a large wavefront phase-lock multiple metallic cavities longitudinally, which leads to intense radiation in multiple directions, including that in the longitudinal direction in a narrow single-lobed beam. The multicavity array radiates predominantly in a single spectral mode. A peak-power output of 260 mW and a slope efficiency of 303 mW/A are measured for the end-fire beam from a 3.3 THz QCL operating at 54 K in a Stirling cooler. Finally, single-mode operation and lithographic tuning across a bandwidth of ~150 GHz are demonstrated.

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Research Organization:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000; ECCS 1609168; ECCS 1351142; NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 1618091

Report Number(s):: SAND-2020-0623J; 682967; TRN: US2200930

Journal Information:: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 116, Issue 13; ISSN 0003-6951

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 1 work

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