STTR Phase I: Efficient Mid-Infrared Interband Cascade Lasers

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop efficient interband cascade lasers based on innovative hybrid waveguides using dielectric and metal layers. The hybrid-waveguide interband cascade lasers will be much less demanding in the growth of device structures and will have efficient continuous wave operation in a wide range of wavelengths, as well as more capabilities such as a wide tuning range and mode selection. Furthermore, hybrid-waveguide interband cascade lasers can have significantly enhanced thermal dissipation compared to current interband cascade lasers that use superlattices as cladding layers. The success of this research project will not only realize efficient hybrid-waveguide interband cascade lasers with low power consumption, it will advance the understanding of how hybrid waveguides can significantly improve the device performance of interband diode lasers. These efficient IC lasers, with such low power consumption, will greatly benefit many useful applications such as chemical sensing, especially where mid-infrared systems must be operated with batteries and energy cost/availability is a concern, including field applications with constraints on size and electric power. The availability of high-performance hybrid-waveguide interband cascade lasers will significantly enhance the capabilities of mid-infrared laser instruments and their applications in many areas. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will generate new cutting-edge knowledge toward improved design and understanding of quantum semiconductor structures and devices. The realization of energy-efficient interband cascade lasers in the entire mid-infrared wavelength region will have significant impact on many biomedical, industrial, earth science, space exploration, defense and homeland security applications. The availability of efficient mid-infrared interband cascade lasers will further stimulate the expansion of the commercial mid-infrared market and even help to create new applications.