Self-starting Harmonic Comb Emission in THz Quantum Cascade Lasers

Abstract

Harmonic comb state has proven to be emerging in quantum cascade lasers and promoted by an interplay between parametric gain and spatial hole burning. We report here on robust, pure, self-starting harmonic mode locking in Copper-based double-metal THz quantum cascade lasers. Different harmonic orders can be excited in the same laser cavity depending on the pumping condition and stable harmonic combs spanning more than 600 GHz bandwidth at 80 K are reported. Such devices can be RF injected and the free running coherence is assessed by means of self-mixing technique performed at 50 GHz. A theoretical model based on Maxwell-Bloch equations including an asymmetry in the gain profile is used to interpret the data.

arXiv commentSubmitted to APL, 6 pages, 5 figures

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• Regenerative Terahertz Quantum Detectors
• Multi-mode Dynamics of Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers: spontaneous and actively induced generation of dense and harmonic coherent regimes
• Frequency-modulated combs via on-chip field enhancement
• Real-time multimode dynamics of terahertz quantum cascade lasers via intracavity self-detection: observation of self mode-locked population pulsations
• Broadband surface-emitting THz laser frequency combs with inverse-designed integrated reflectors
• RF Injection Locking of THz Metasurface Quantum-Cascade VECSEL
• Improved comb and dual-comb operation of terahertz quantum cascade lasers utilizing a symmetric thermal dissipation
• Heterodyne coherent detection of the electric field temporal trace emitted by frequency-modulated comb lasers