Distributed feedback（DFB） quantum cascade lasers（QCLs） in continuous-wave（CW） mode emitting atλ≈7.6μm are presented.Holographic lithography was used to fabricate the first-order distributed feedback grating. For a high-reflectivity-coated QCL with 14.5-μm-wide and 3-mm-long cavity,CW output powers of 300 mW at 85 K and still 10 mW at 270 K are obtained.Single-mode emission with a side-mode suppression ratio（SMSR） of about 30 dB and a wide tuning range of ~300 nm in the temperature range from 85 to 280 K is observed.
Surface-emitting distributed feedback quantum-cascade lasers operating at λ≈7.8 μm are demonstrated. The metal-covered second-order grating is shallow-etched into the surface of a thin InGaAs contact and cladding layer. This forms a hybrid waveguide and used to achieve relatively low waveguide losses and high coupling strengths. The devices exhibit stable single-mode operation from 90 to 130 K with a side mode suppression ratio above 20 dB. A slope efficiency of 194 mW/A is obtained at 90 K, which is twice higher than that of the Fabry-Perot counterpart.
An analysis of a surface emitting distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser（DFB QCL） based on a surface-plasmon waveguide is presented.The second-order grating realized by the sole patterning of the top metal provides strong feedback.The analysis is based on a coupled-mode theory derived from exact Floquet-Bloch solutions of the infinite periodic structure.The surface outcoupling efficiency and threshold gain for the optimized device design are 43%and 12 cm-1,respectively,which represent great improvements on the conventional dielectric waveguide based DFB QCL with typical values of 17.5%and 20 cm-1.
