Microcavity-Stabilized Quantum Cascade Laser

Year: 2016

Authors: Siciliani de Cumis, M.; Borri, S.; Insero, G.; Galli, I.; Savchenkov, A.; Eliyahu, D.; Ilchenko, V.; Akikusa, N.; Matsko, A.; Maleki, L.; De Natale, P.

Autors Affiliation: INRIM – Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Strada delle Cacce, Torino, 91-10135, Italy; CNR-INO – Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, FI, 50125, Italy; INFN, Sezione di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, 50019, Italy; OEwaves Inc, 465 North Halstead Street, Suite 140, Pasadena, CA 91107, United States; Development Bureau Laser Device R and D Group, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka, 434-8601, Japan

Abstract: Narrow-linewidth lasers are key elements in optical metrology and spectroscopy. Spectral purity of these lasers determines accuracy of the measurements and quality of collected data. Solid state and fiber lasers are stabilized to relatively large and complex external optical cavities or narrow atomic and molecular transitions to improve their spectral purity. While this stabilization technique is rather generic, its complexity increases tremendously moving to longer wavelenghts, to the infrared (IR) range. Inherent increase of losses of optical materials at longer wavelengths hinders realization of compact, room temperature, high finesse IR cavities suitable for laser stabilization. In this paper, we report on demonstration of quantum cascade lasers stabilized to high-Q crystalline mid-IR microcavities. The lasers operating at room temperature in the 4.3-4.6 ?m region have a linewidth approaching 10 kHz and are promising for on-chip mid-IR and IR spectrometers. Narrow linewidth lasers are key elements in optical metrology and spectroscopy. While stabilization of visible-to-near-IR lasers benefits of a variety of ultrastable references, its complexity increases tremendously moving to longer wavelenghts. In this paper, mid-IR quantum cascade laser stabilization to high-Q crystalline microresonators is reported, a promising method for mid-infrared metrology and on-chip infrared spectrometers.

Journal/Review: LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS

Volume: 10 (1)      Pages from: 153  to: 157

More Information: We gratefully acknowledge S. Bartalini, P. Cancio Pastor, M. De Pas, G. Giusfredi, D. Mazzotti, G. Santambrogio for useful discussions. CNR-INO acknowledges financial support from Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) European project and from INFN (SUPREMO project). OEwaves team acknowledges partial support from Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)(FA9550-12-C-0068) and from CNR-INO.
KeyWords: Crystalline materials; Fiber lasers; Infrared lasers; Infrared spectrometers; Linewidth; Microcavities; Optical resonators; Optical systems; Quantum cascade lasers; Resonators; Semiconductor lasers; Spectrometers; Stabilization; Units of measurement; Whispering gallery modes, Laser stabilization; Micro resonators; Molecular transitions; Narrow linewidth lasers; Optical cavities; Optical Metrology; Stabilization techniques; Whispering gallery mode resonator, Solid state lasers
DOI: 10.1002/lpor.201500214

Citations: 36
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