Injection-locking of terahertz quantum cascade lasers up to 35GHz using RF amplitude modulation

We demonstrate that the cavity resonance frequency - the round-trip frequency - of Terahertz quantum cascade lasers can be injection-locked by direct modulation of the bias current using an RF source. Metal-metal and single-plasmon waveguide devices with roundtrip frequencies up to 35GHz have been studied, and show locking ranges above 200MHz. Inside this locking range the laser round-trip frequency is phase-locked, with a phase noise determined by the RF-synthesizer. We find a square-root dependence of the locking range with RF-power in agreement with classical injection-locking theory. These results are discussed in the context of mode-locking operation. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America