NSF Award
9901757
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II proposal will demonstrate high -temperature mid-IR lasers at 3 to 5 um with an average output power >10 mW on 2 inch compliant universal substrates.<br/>To revolutionize the mid-IR market, mid-IR semiconductor lasers must be able to operate at thermal-electrical cooled temperatures >220K with a long pulse length >10 us and an average power >10 mW. The cost of a sterling cooler is too expensive to be affordable, and is not very reliable. The current MIR semiconductor lasers are strongly limited by the available substrates. In a short term, only optically pumped lasers could meet the market requirements. Type-II QW lasers have demonstrated many excellent performances such as above room temperature operations, record-low threshold pump intensity, and high quantum efficiency and high output power at low temperatures. However, these devices suffer from the threading dislocations and poor thermal conductivity. These problems could be well solved by growing these devices on compliant universal substrates.<br/> Critical military needs include IR countermeasures, chemical sensing for defense against biological/chemical warfare, eye-safe covert illumination, and free-space communications, Commercial markets include leak detection, in-situ process control, remote chemical sensing, IR spectroscopy, and glucose analysis. With the development of room-temperature high-power lasers, this program should considerably accelerate the commercialization of mid-IR lasers to meet the potential needs of the huge defense and commercial market.
