| CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
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Optical Switching of a Quantum Cascade Laser in Continuous Wave Operation |
| Gang Chen1,2, Seong-wook Park1, I-Chun A. Chen1, Clyde G. Bethea1, Rainer Martini1 |
| 1Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA2College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 |
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| Cite this article: |
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Gang Chen, Seong-wook Park, I-Chun A. Chen et al 2010 Chin. Phys. Lett. 27 018501 |
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Abstract We demonstrate an optical switching in a middle infrared continuous-wave quantum cascade laser operated in single mode by illuminating its front facet with a near infrared laser. A decrease in the laser net gain is observed in the amplified spontaneous emission spectrum. This is attributed to an increase of the carrier concentration caused by the near infrared excitation. The net gain reduction allows the quantum cascade laser to be completely switched off from single mode lasing. This optical switching can be used to convert near infrared signals into middle infrared signals for free space communication.
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| Keywords:
85.60.-q
85.35.Be
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Received: 22 September 2009
Published: 30 December 2009
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| PACS: |
85.60.-q
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(Optoelectronic devices)
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85.35.Be
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(Quantum well devices (quantum dots, quantum wires, etc.))
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