Diffusion-Bonded Nonlinear Materials for Practical Quasi-Phase-Matched Mid-IRDevices

摘要

This report summarizes research on the application of diffusion bonded GaAs forhigh power quasiphase matched nonlinear frequency conversion in the infrared (IR). Research focused on development of material processing methods. Microstructural, microchemical and optical characterization techniques were employed to analyze the nature of defects found at the wafer interfaces, and within the bulk material; strategies for minimizing them were developed. The resulting advances in processing technology reduced mid-IR optical losses in diffusion bonded GaAs stacks by over an order of magnitude, to less than 0.2% per interface. This is within the range required to make practical pulsed nonlinear infrared devices such as CO2 doublers. Further reductions in optical losses, required for high average power cw IR applications, appear possible.