Frequency locking of single-mode 3.5-THz quantum cascade lasers using a gas cell

We report frequency locking of two 3.5-THz third-order distributed feedback (DFB) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) by using methanol molecular absorption lines, a proportional-integral-derivative controller, and a NbN bolometer. We show that the free-running linewidths of the QCLs are dependent on the electrical and temperature tuning coefficients....

Terahertz heterodyne spectrometer using a quantum cascade laser

A terahertz (THz) heterodyne spectrometer is demonstrated based on a quantum cascade laser (QCL) as a local oscillator (LO) and an NbN hot electron bolometer as a mixer, and it is used to measure high-resolution molecular spectral lines of methanol (CH3OH) between 2.913–2.918 THz. The spectral lines are taken from a gas cell containing methanol...

High-resolution heterodyne spectroscopy using a tunable quantum cascade laser around 3.5 THz

A frequency tunable terahertz heterodyne spectrometer, based on a third-order distributed feedback quantum cascade laser as a local oscillator, has been demonstrated by measuring molecular spectral lines of methanol (CH3OH) gas at 3.5 THz. By varying the bias voltage of the laser, we achieved a tuning range of ? 1?GHz of the lasing frequency,...

Stabilized hot electron bolometer heterodyne receiver at 2.5?THz

We report on a method to stabilize a hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer at 2.5 THz. The technique utilizes feedback control of the local oscillator (LO) laser power by means of a swing-arm actuator placed in the optical beam path. We demonstrate that this technique yields a factor of 50 improvement in the spectroscopic Allan variance time which...

Kilometer-range, high resolution depth imaging via 1560 nm wavelength single-photon detection

This paper highlights a significant advance in time-of-flight depth imaging: by using a scanning transceiver which incorporated a free-running, low noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detector, we were able to obtain centimeter resolution depth images of low-signature objects in daylight at stand-off distances of the order of one...

Frequency and amplitude stabilized terahertz quantum cascade laser as local oscillator

We demonstrate an experimental scheme to simultaneously stabilize the frequency and amplitude of a 3.5 THz third-order distributed feedback quantum cascade laser as a local oscillator. The frequency stabilization has been realized using a methanol absorption line, a power detector, and a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loop. The amplitude...

Hot electron bolometer heterodyne receiver with a 4.7-THz quantum cascade laser as a local oscillator

We report on a heterodyne receiver designed to observe the astrophysically important neutral atomic oxygen [OI] line at 4.7448?THz. The local oscillator is a third-order distributed feedback quantum cascade laser operating in continuous wave mode at 4.741?THz. A quasi-optical, superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer is used as the mixer. We...

Beam and phase distributions of a terahertz quantum cascade wire laser

We report on both measurements and simulations of the beam profile and wavefront of a single-mode, 3.5?THz quantum cascade wire laser, incorporating a lateral corrugated metal-metal waveguide, 3rd-order distributed feedback grating. The intrinsic wavefront was measured by using a Hartmann wavefront sensor (HWS) without any optical components...

Terahertz wavefronts measured using the Hartmann sensor principle

We demonstrate for the first time that the Hartmann wavefront sensor (HWS) principle can be applied for characterizing the wavefronts of terahertz (THz) electromagnetic radiation. The THz Hartmann wavefront sensor consists of a metallic plate with an array of holes and a twodimensional scanable pyro-electric detector. The THz radiation with...