The Three-Decade Journey of Quantum Cascade Lasers
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Quantum Photonics and Technologies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 3941
Special Issue Editors
Interests: optoelectronics; design; modeling; growth; characterization (optical, electrical, and structural); fabrication; packaging, and measurements of quantum devices; semiconductor lasers; photodetectors; focal plane arrays; QWIP, QDWIP, from deep UV (200 nm), up to THZ (300 microns)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: molecular beam epitaxy, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition; nonequilibrium green’s function; semiconductor lasers; device fabrications; terahertz
Interests: quantum photonic devices; nonlinear optics; terahertz lasers; frequency combs; electroabsorption-modulated lasers; single photon sources
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: terahertz; quantum cascade lasers; inter-subband transition; nitride semiconductors lasers; molecular-beam epitaxy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to join us in celebrating the remarkable progress made over nearly 30 years in the field of Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs), specifically covering the mid- and far-infrared (mid-IR; terahertz) spectra. The widespread implementation of QCLs in real-world applications, such as environmental sensing, process control, and combustion diagnostics, underscores their significant impact.
This Special Issue aims to present the milestones achieved and the latest hot topics related to QCL research. Given the primary focus of Photonics on devices, it is fitting to compile these advancements here.
In this Special Issue, original research articles, reviews, and comments are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following topics: the physics of the intersubband transition, quantum transport simulations in QCLs, state-of-the-art mid-IR and THz QCL experiments, frequency noise and stabilization of QCLs, surface-emitting photonics configurations, frequency combs, multifrequency generation techniques for THz QCLs, and an extensive illustration of the various applications of QCLs.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Manijeh Razeghi
Dr. Li Wang
Dr. Quanyong Lu
Prof. Dr. Hideki Hirayama
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- intersubband transition
- quantum transport models
- quantum cascade lasers
- mid-infrared/terahertz
- nonlinearities
- frequency comb
- spectroscopy
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Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Membrane-mediated Conversion of Near-Infrared Amplitude Modulation into the Self-Mixing Signal of a Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser
Authors: Paolo Vezio; Andrea Ottomaniello; Leonardo Vicarelli; Mohammed Salih; Lianhe Li; Edmund Linfield; Paul Dean; Virgilio Mattoli; Alessandro Pitanti; Alessandro Tredicucci
Affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Firenze, via Sansone 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
Abstract: A platform for converting near-infrared (NIR) laser power modulation into the self-mixing (SM) signal of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) operating at terahertz (THz) frequencies is introduced. This approach is based on laser-feedback interferometry (LFI) with a THz QCL using a gold-coated silicon nitride trampoline membrane resonator as both the external QCL laser cavity and the mechanical coupling element of the two-laser hybrid system. We show that the membrane response can be controlled with high precision and stability both in its dynamic (i.e. piezo-electrically actuated) and static state via the photo-thermally induced NIR laser excitation. The responsivity to nanometric external cavity variation and robustness to optical feedback of the QCL LFI apparatus then allows a highly sensitive and reliable transfer of the NIR power modulation into the QCL SM voltage, with a bandwidth limited by the thermal response time of the membrane resonator. Interestingly, a dual information conversion is possible thanks to the accurate thermal tuning of the membrane resonance frequency shift and displacement. Overall, the proposed apparatus can be exploited for the precise opto-mechanical control of QCLs operation with advanced application in LFI imaging and spectroscopy, and in coherent optical communication.