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An experimental study of noise in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers of different designs

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Abstract

We present an experimental study of noise in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) of different designs. By quantifying the high degree of correlation occurring between fluctuations of the optical frequency and voltage between the QCL terminals, we show that electrical noise is a powerful and simple mean to study noise in QCLs. Based on this outcome, we investigated the electrical noise in a large set of 22 QCLs emitting in the range of 7.6–8 μm and consisting of both ridge-waveguide and buried-heterostructure (BH) lasers with different geometrical designs and operation parameters. From a statistical data processing based on an analysis of variance, we assessed that ridge-waveguide lasers have a lower noise than BH lasers. Our physical interpretation is that additional current leakages or spare injection channels occur at the interface between the active region and the lateral insulator in the BH geometry, which induces some extra noise. In addition, Schottky-type contacts occurring at the interface between the n-doped regions and the lateral insulator, i.e., iron-doped InP, are also believed to be a potential source of additional noise in some BH lasers, as observed from the slight reduction in the integrated voltage noise observed at the laser threshold in several BH-QCLs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by the Swiss Space Office (SSO) in the frame of the MdP (Positioning measures) program. The authors from University of Neuchatel are also grateful to the Swiss National Science Foundation for additional financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Temps-Fréquence, Université de Neuchâtel, Avenue de Bellevaux 51, CH-2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Stéphane Schilt, Lionel Tombez & Thomas Südmeyer

  2. Alpes Lasers SA, 1-3 Passage Max-Meuron, CH-2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Camille Tardy, Alfredo Bismuto, Stéphane Blaser, Richard Maulini, Romain Terazzi & Michel Rochat

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  1. Stéphane Schilt
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  2. Lionel Tombez
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Correspondence to Stéphane Schilt.

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Schilt, S., Tombez, L., Tardy, C. et al. An experimental study of noise in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers of different designs. Appl. Phys. B 119, 189–201 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-015-6021-4

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