US 12,034,276 B2
Quantum cascade laser with high efficiency operation and related systems and methods
Arkadiy Lyakh, Oviedo, FL (US); and Matthew Suttinger, Orlando, FL (US)
Assigned to UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC., Orlando, FL (US)
Filed by UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC., Orlando, FL (US)
Filed on Oct. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/938,817.
Application 17/938,817 is a division of application No. 17/002,129, filed on Aug. 25, 2020, granted, now 11,502,482.
Application 17/002,129 is a division of application No. 16/136,713, filed on Sep. 20, 2018, granted, now 10,811,847, issued on Oct. 20, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/608,761, filed on Dec. 21, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0163571 A1, May 25, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01S 5/34 (2006.01); H01S 5/026 (2006.01); H01S 5/20 (2006.01); H01S 5/22 (2006.01)
CPC H01S 5/3402 (2013.01) [H01S 5/026 (2013.01); H01S 5/20 (2013.01); H01S 5/22 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical system comprising:
a quantum cascade laser (QCL) comprising
a substrate, and
a sequence of semiconductor epitaxial layers adjacent the substrate and defining an active region, and a waveguide optically coupled to the active region,
the active region comprising a plurality of stages, the waveguide defining first and second opposing facets configured to respectively emit first and second laser outputs, the waveguide and the active region defining a double-channel shallow-ridge configuration with channel width exceeding 50 μm and a ridge width exceeding 20 μm, each channel from the double-channel shallow-ridge configuration being vertically spaced apart from the active region, the sequence of semiconductor epitaxial layers being different in a region D1 over an injector region and a second region D2 over each channel to create a lateral contrast in effective refractive index and a contrast in waveguide losses; and
first and second collimating lens configured to respectively receive the first and second laser outputs; and
a plurality of mirrors configured to combine the first and second laser outputs.