SEMICONDUCTOR INTERBAND CASCADE LASERS WITH ENHANCED OPTICAL CONFINEMENT

摘要

A semiconductor interband cascade laser having an outer cladding layer formed from a material selected from the group consisting of a high-doped semiconductor material, a dielectric material and/or a metal, having an outer cladding layer refractive index and/or permittivity; an intermediate cladding layer formed from a semiconductor material having an intermediate cladding layer refractive index and/or permittivity which is greater than the outer cladding layer refractive index and/or permittivity; and a waveguide core having an active region having an active region refractive index and/or permittivity, the active region configured to generate light based on interband transitions, the light defining a lasing wavelength, wherein the intermediate cladding layer is positioned between the outer cladding layer and the waveguide core; and wherein the active region refractive index and/or permittivity is greater than the intermediate cladding layer refractive index and/or permittivity. The waveguide core may further include at least one separate confinement layer (SCL) positioned between the active region and the intermediate cladding layer.