Riccardi, E. orcid.org/0000-0001-6019-4247, Justo Guerrero, M.A., Pistore, V. orcid.org/0000-0002-5662-8767 et al. (6 more authors) (2024) Sculpting harmonic comb states in terahertz quantum cascade lasers by controlled engineering. Optica, 11 (3). pp. 412-419. ISSN 2334-2536
Abstract
<jats:p>Optical frequency combs (OFCs), which establish a rigid phase-coherent link between the microwave and optical domains of the electromagnetic spectrum, are emerging as key high-precision tools for the development of quantum technology platforms. These include potential applications for communication, computation, information, sensing, and metrology and can extend from the near-infrared with micro-resonator combs, up to the technologically attractive terahertz (THz) frequency range, with powerful and miniaturized quantum cascade laser (QCL) FCs. The recently discovered ability of the QCLs to produce a harmonic frequency comb (HFC)—a FC with large intermodal spacings—has attracted new interest in these devices for both applications and fundamental physics, particularly for the generation of THz tones of high spectral purity for high data rate wireless communication networks, for radio frequency arbitrary waveform synthesis, and for the development of quantum key distributions. The controlled generation of harmonic states of a specific order remains, however, elusive in THz QCLs. Here, and by design, we devise a strategy to obtain broadband HFC emission of a pre-defined order in a QCL. By patterning <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> regularly spaced defects on the top surface of a double-metal Fabry–Perot QCL, we demonstrate harmonic comb emission with modes spaced by an (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic>+1) free spectral range and with an optical power/mode of ∼270µW.</jats:p>
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Electronic & Electrical Engineering (Leeds) > Pollard Institute (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) EP/W028921/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 25 Mar 2024 11:19 |
Last Modified: | 25 Mar 2024 11:19 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Optica Publishing Group |
Identification Number: | 10.1364/optica.509929 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:210778 |