Recent progress by mid-IR antimonide type-II “W” interband cascade lasers and LWIR detectors

C. L. Canedy; I. Vurgaftman; W. W. Bewley; C. S. Kim; M. Kim; J. R. Lindle; J. R. Meyer; E. H. Aifer; J. G. Tischler; J. H. Warner; E. M. Jackson

doi:10.1117/12.690903

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17 October 2006 Recent progress by mid-IR antimonide type-II "W" interband cascade lasers and LWIR detectors

C. L. Canedy, I. Vurgaftman, W. W. Bewley, C. S. Kim, M. Kim, J. R. Lindle, J. R. Meyer, E. H. Aifer, J. G. Tischler, J. H. Warner, E. M. Jackson

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Proceedings Volume 6386, Optical Methods in the Life Sciences; 63860G (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.690903
Event: Optics East 2006, 2006, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Abstract

Significant recent advances in the high-temperature, high-power performance of type-II antimonide interband cascade lasers (ICLs) operating in the mid-infrared are reported. A 5-stage ICL with a 12μm ridge width and Au electroplating for improved epitaxial-side-up heat sinking operates cw to a maximum temperature of 257 K, where the emission wavelength is 3.7 μm. A similar device with a ridge width of 22 μm emits > 260 mW per facet for cw operation at 80 K (λ = 3.4 μm) and 100 mW at 200 K (λ = 3.6 μm). Beam qualities for the narrowest ridges approach the diffraction limit. The recent development of type-II "W" photodiodes for the long-wave infrared is also reviewed. A "W" photodiode with an 11.3 μm cutoff displayed a 34% external quantum efficiency (at 8.6 μm) operating at 80 K. A graded-gap design of the depletion region is shown to strongly suppress dark currents due to tunneling and generation-recombination processes. The median dynamic impedance-area product of 216 Ω-cm² for 33 devices with 10.5 μm cutoff at 78 K is comparable to that for state-of-the-art HgCdTe-based photodiodes. The sidewall resistivity of ≈70 kΩ-cm for untreated mesas is also considerably higher than previous reports for passivated or unpassivated type-II LWIR photodiodes, apparently indicating self-passivation by the graded bandgap.

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C. L. Canedy, I. Vurgaftman, W. W. Bewley, C. S. Kim, M. Kim, J. R. Lindle, J. R. Meyer, E. H. Aifer, J. G. Tischler, J. H. Warner, and E. M. Jackson "Recent progress by mid-IR antimonide type-II "W" interband cascade lasers and LWIR detectors", Proc. SPIE 6386, Optical Methods in the Life Sciences, 63860G (17 October 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.690903

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