High power quantum cascade lasers operating at λ≃87 and 130 μm

We report high power quantum cascade lasers operating above liquid nitrogen temperature at lambdasimilar or equal to87 and 130 mum based on a bound-to-continuum transition. For lambdasimilar or equal to87 mum, 56 mW peak power in pulsed operation and 50 mW continuous wave operation at 10 K are demonstrated. At lambdasimilar or equal to130 mum, a peak power of 50 mW was achieved and devices operated in continuous wave reached a maximum temperature of 53 K with an optical power of 11.5 mW at T=10 K. Lifetimes are extracted from the scaling of the transport and laser parameters as a function of size using a simple rate equation model. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.