Low-Threshold RNGH Instabilities in Quantum Cascade Lasers

We show that low-threshold Risken-Nummedal-Graham-Haken (RNGH) instabilities in quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) occur due to a combined effect of the carrier coherence and population grating induced in the gain medium. QCLs with a few mm long cavity exhibit intermittent RNGH self-pulsations while regu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inIEEE journal of selected topics in quantum electronics Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 1 - 16
Main Authors Vukovic, Nikola N., Radovanovic, Jelena, Milanovic, Vitomir, Boiko, Dmitri L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published IEEE 01.11.2017
Subjects
Cavity resonators
Gratings
instabilities and chaos
Laser modes
laser stability
Mathematical model
Quantum cascade lasers
Ring lasers
ultrafast nonlinear optics
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:We show that low-threshold Risken-Nummedal-Graham-Haken (RNGH) instabilities in quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) occur due to a combined effect of the carrier coherence and population grating induced in the gain medium. QCLs with a few mm long cavity exhibit intermittent RNGH self-pulsations while regular self-pulsations are possible in short-cavity QCLs, with the cavity length of 100 μm or smaller. Transient behavior to RNGH self-pulsations in short-cavity QCLs shows features resembling cooperative superradiance which opens a practical way of achieving ultrashort pulse production regimes in the mid-infrared spectral range.
ISSN:1077-260X
1558-4542
DOI:10.1109/JSTQE.2017.2699139