Terahertz Devices: Tunable and Mode-Locked p-Ge THz Laser

摘要

This Phase II STTR project developed and demonstrated a corn pact, turn-key, cryogen-free, p-type germanium laser, tunable over the range 1.5A.2 THz (70-200 micron wavelength), with I Watt peak power. A new type of intracavity gain modulator with potential application to active mode locking was discovered. improvement in the gain of the active p-Ge crystal by homogeneous neutron transmutation doping was experimentally shown. An alternative means of gain improvement, which allows operation at 77 K, via periodic delta-doping in chemical-vapor-deposited planar Ge structures was realized through Monte Carlo simulations. Potential applications to satellite communications, bio/chem sensing, non-destructive testing, and mine detection were considered.