Thermal Management of Quantum Cascade Lasers in an individually Addressable Array Architecture

There are a number of military and commercial applications for high-power laser systems in the mid-to-long-infrared wavelength range. By virtue of their demonstrated watt-level performance and wavelength diversity, quantum cascade laser (QCL) and amplifier devices are an excellent choice of emitter...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Missaggia,Leo J, Wang,Christine, Connors,Michael, Saar,Brian, Sanchez-Rubio,Antonio, Creedon,Kevin, Turner,George, Herzog,William
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
emission
heat flux
heat transfer
heat transmission
High power laser systems
Laser arrays
Lasers and Masers
LONGWAVELENGTH INFRARED RADIATION
mid-to-long-infrared wavelength
printed circuit boards
quantum cascade lasers
Semiconductor lasers
temperature control
thermal conductivity
Thermal Management
thermal resistance
Thermodynamics
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Summary:There are a number of military and commercial applications for high-power laser systems in the mid-to-long-infrared wavelength range. By virtue of their demonstrated watt-level performance and wavelength diversity, quantum cascade laser (QCL) and amplifier devices are an excellent choice of emitter for those applications. To realize the power levels of interest, beam combining of arrays of these emitters is required and as a result, array technology must be developed. With this in mind, packaging and thermal management strategies were developed to facilitate the demonstration of a monolithic QCL array operating under CW conditions. Thermal models were constructed and simulations performed to determine the effect of parameters such as array-element ridge width and pitch on gain region temperature rise. The results of the simulations were considered in determining an appropriate QCL array configuration. State-of-the-art micro-impingement cooling along with an electrical distribution scheme comprised of AlN multi-layer technology were integrated into the design. The design of the module allows for individual electrical addressability of the array elements, a method of phase control demonstrated previously for coherent beam combining of diode arrays, along with access to both front and rear facets. Hence, both laser and single-pass amplifier arrays can be accommodated. A module was realized containing a 5 mm cavity length monolithic QCL array comprised of 7 elements on 450 m pitch. An output power of 3.16 W was demonstrated under CW conditions at an emission wavelength of 9 micro(m).