Phase locking of a 2.7 THz quantum cascade laser to a microwave reference

Journal article (2009)
Department
QN/Quantum Nanoscience (AS) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2009 Optical Society of America
DOI: https://doi.org/doi:10.1364/OL.34.002958
Spectroscopy, teraherz Far infrared or terahertz Spectroscopy, heterodyne Astronomy and astrophysics Quantum-well, -wire and -dot devices
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Published Date

24-09-2009

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Source:

Optics Letters, 34 (19), 2009

ISSN:

0146-9592

Source:

http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ol/abstract.cfm?URI=ol-34-19-2958

Faculty

Applied Sciences

Department

QN/Quantum Nanoscience

Abstract

We demonstrate the phase locking of a 2.7 THz metal–metal waveguide quantum cascade laser (QCL) to an external microwave signal. The reference is the 15th harmonic, generated by a semiconductor superlattice nonlinear device, of a signal at 182 GHz, which itself is generated by a multiplier chain (x12) from a microwave synthesizer at ~15 GHz. Both laser and reference radiations are coupled into a bolometer mixer, resulting in a beat signal, which is fed into a phase-lock loop. The spectral analysis of the beat signal confirms that the QCL is phase locked. This result opens the possibility to extend heterodyne interferometers into the far-infrared range.

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