Deterministic temporal chaos from a mid-infrared external cavity quantum cascade lasers

Frédéric Grillot; Louise Jumpertz; Kevin Schires; Mathieu Carras; Marc Sciamanna

doi:10.1117/12.2213434

13 February 2016 Deterministic temporal chaos from a mid-infrared external cavity quantum cascade lasers

Frédéric Grillot, Louise Jumpertz, Kevin Schires, Mathieu Carras, Marc Sciamanna

Proceedings Volume 9755, Quantum Sensing and Nano Electronics and Photonics XIII; 975521 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2213434
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2016, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are unipolar semiconductor lasers offering access to wavelengths from the mid-infrared (IR) to the terahertz domain and promising impact on various applications such as free-space communications, high-resolution spectroscopy, LIDAR remote sensing or optical countermeasures. Unlike bipolar semiconductor lasers, stimulated emission in QCLs is obtained via electronic transitions between discrete energy states inside the conduction band. Recent technological progress has led to QCLs operating in pulsed or continuous wave mode, at room temperature in single- or multi-mode operation, with high powers up to a few watts for mid-IR devices. This spectacular development raises multiple interrogations on the stability of QCLs as little is known on their dynamical properties. Very recently, experiments based on optical spectrum measurements have unveiled the existence of five distinct feedback regimes without, however, identifying the complex dynamics dwelling within the QCL. In this article we provide the first experimental evidence of a route to chaos in a QCL emitting at mid-IR wavelength. When applying optical feedback with an increasing strength, the QCL dynamics bifurcate to periodic dynamics at the external cavity frequency and later to chaos without an undamping of relaxation oscillations, hence contrasting with the well-known scenarios occurring in interband laser diodes.

Citation Download Citation

Frédéric Grillot, Louise Jumpertz, Kevin Schires, Mathieu Carras, and Marc Sciamanna "Deterministic temporal chaos from a mid-infrared external cavity quantum cascade lasers", Proc. SPIE 9755, Quantum Sensing and Nano Electronics and Photonics XIII, 975521 (13 February 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2213434

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available