Hofstetter, Daniel

2013-7-17, Tombez, Lionel, Cappelli, Francesco, Schilt, Stephane, Di Domenico, Gianni, Bartalini, Saverio, Hofstetter, Daniel

We report on the wavelength tuning dynamics in continuous-wave distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). The wavelength tuning response for direct current modulation of two mid-IR QCLs from different suppliers was measured from 10 Hz up to several MHz using ro-vibrational molecular resonances as frequency-to-intensity converters. Unlike the output intensity, which can be modulated up to several gigahertz, the frequency-modulation bandwidth was found to be on the order of 200 kHz, limited by the laser thermal dynamics. A non-negligible roll-off and a significant phase shift are observed above a few hundred hertz already and explained by a thermal model.

2012, Tombez, Lionel, Schilt, Stephane, Di Francesco, Joab F., Thomann, Pierre, Hofstetter, Daniel

We report on the measurement of the frequency noise power spectral density in a distributed feedback quantum cascade laser over a wide temperature range, from 128 K to 303 K. As a function of the device temperature, we show that the frequency noise behavior is characterized by two different regimes separated by a steep transition at ≈200 K. While the frequency noise is nearly unchanged ~200 K, it drastically increases at lower temperature with an exponential dependence. We also show that this increase is entirely induced by current noise intrinsic to the device. In contrast to earlier publications, a single laser is used here in a wide temperature range allowing the direct assessment of the temperature dependence of the frequency noise.

2011, Tombez, Lionel, Di Francesco, Joab F., Schilt, Stephane, Di Domenico, Gianni, Thomann, Pierre, Hofstetter, Daniel, Faist, Jérôme

The frequency noise properties of commercial distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers emitting in the 4.6 μm range and operated in cw mode near room temperature (277 K) are presented. The measured frequency noise power spectral density reveals a flicker noise dropping down to the very low level of <100 Hz²/Hz at 10 MHz Fourier frequency and is globally a factor of 100 lower than data recently reported for a similar laser operated at cryogenic temperature. This makes our laser a good candidate for the realization of a mid-IR ultranarrow linewidth reference.

2011, Hofstetter, Daniel, Di Francesco, Joab, Hvozdara, L., Herzig, H.-P., Beck, M.

Abstract: We report a prototype CO2 gas sensor based on a simple blackbody infrared source and a spectrally narrow quantum cascade detector (QCD). The detector absorption spectrum is centered at 2260 cm(-1) (4.4 um) and has a full width at half maximum of 200 cm(-1)(25 meV). It covers strong absorption bands of two spectrally overlapping CO2 isotopomers, namely the P-branch of 12CO2 and the R-branch of 13CO2. Acquisition of the spectral information and data treatment were performed in a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. By flushing its sample compartment either with nitrogen, dry fresh air, ambient air, or human breath, we were able to determine CO2 concentrations corresponding to the different gas mixtures. A detection limit of 500 ppb was obtained in these experiments.

2013, Schilt, Stephane, Tombez, Lionel, Di Domenico, Gianni, Hofstetter, Daniel

2011-8-10, Tombez, Lionel, Di Francesco, Joab, Schilt, Stephane, Di Domenico, Gianni, Faist, J., Thomann, Pierre, Hofstetter, Daniel

The frequency noise properties of commercial distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers emitting in the 4.6 um range and operated in cw mode near room temperature (277K) are presented. The measured frequency noise power spectral density reveals a flicker noise dropping down to the very low level of <100 Hz2/Hz at 10 MHz Fourier frequency and is globally a factor of 100 lower than data recently reported for a similar laser operated at cryogenic temperature. This makes our laser a good candidate for the realization of a mid-IR ultranarrow linewidth reference.

2011, Hofstetter, Daniel, Di Francesco, Joab F., Martin, Denis, Grandjean, Nicolas, Kotsar, Yulia, Monroy, Eva

We demonstrate the effect of rapid thermal annealing on heavily Si-doped AlN/GaN quantum wells. After 1000 °C annealing during 5, 10, and 20 min, the dominant effect was interdiffusion of Si rather than intermixing between the Al and Ga atoms. Both their original value and the magnitude of the changes after annealing reveal that intersubband absorption and photovoltage are related to two different optical transitions as follows: absorption occurs in the 1 to 2 intersubband transition, whereas photovoltage is due to a subsequent process from the 1 to 2 and the manifold of 2 to higher order transitions.

2012-4-21, Tombez, Lionel, Schilt, Stephane, Di Francesco, Joab, Di Domenico, Gianni, Hofstetter, Daniel, Thomann, Pierre

We report on the measurement of the frequency noise properties of a 4.6-μm distributed-feedback quantum-cascade laser (QCL) operating in continuous wave near room temperature using a spectroscopic set-up. The flank of the R(14) ro-vibrational absorption line of carbon monoxide at 2196.6 cm^−1 is used to convert the frequency fluctuations of the laser into intensity fluctuations that are spectrally analyzed. We evaluate the influence of the laser driver on the observed QCL frequency noise and show how only a low-noise driver with a current noise density below ≈1 nA/√Hz allows observing the frequency noise of the laser itself, without any degradation induced by the current source. We also show how the laser FWHM linewidth, extracted from the frequency noise spectrum using a simple formula, can be drastically broadened at a rate of ≈1.6 MHz/(nA/√Hz) for higher current noise densities of the driver. The current noise of commercial QCL drivers can reach several nA/√Hz , leading to a broadening of the linewidth of our QCL of up to several megahertz. To remedy this limitation, we present a low-noise QCL driver with only 350 pA/√Hz current noise, which is suitable to observe the ≈550 kHz linewidth of our QCL.

2011, Hofstetter, Daniel, Di Francesco, Joab, Kandaswamy, Prem K., Monroy, Eva

We investigate midinfrared intersubband photodetectors based on short-period AlN/GaN superlattices with different quantum well thicknesses. Band structure calculations, as well as optical transmission and photovoltage measurements, underline the importance of higher order interminiband transitions. In particular, it was found that optical transitions between the second and third minibands benefit from much larger electron displacements and oscillator strengths than those between the first and second minibands. Our results suggest that optical rectification is therefore much more efficient for devices based on a higher order interminiband transition.

2011, Hofstetter, Daniel, Di Francesco, Joab, Martin, Denis, Grandjean, Nicolas, Kotsar, Yulia, Monroy, Eva

We demonstrate the effect of rapid thermal annealing on heavily Si-doped AlN/GaN quantum wells. After 1000 °C annealing during 5, 10, and 20 min, the dominant effect was interdiffusion of Si rather than intermixing between the Al and Ga atoms. Both their original value and the magnitude of the changes after annealing reveal that intersubband absorption and photovoltage are related to two different optical transitions as follows: absorption occurs in the 1 to 2 intersubband transition, whereas photovoltage is due to a subsequent process from the 1 to 2 and the manifold of 2 to higher order transitions. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.