中红外InAs/InP量子点激光器
近日，英国伦敦大学学院Hui Jia团队研究了中红外InAs/InP量子点激光器。相关论文于2026年1月12日发表在《光：科学与应用》杂志上。
中红外半导体激光器工作在2.0-5.0 μm光谱范围在各种应用中发挥着重要作用，包括痕量气体检测、生物医学分析和自由空间光通信。基于InP的量子阱（QW）和量子冲线（Qdash）激光器是传统GaSb基QW激光器的有前景的替代品，因为它们的成本较低，制造基础设施成熟。然而，它们受到高阈值电流密度（Jth）和有限工作温度的影响。InAs/InP量子点（QD）激光器由于其三维载流子限制，理论上提供了较低的Jth。然而，实现高密度、均匀的InAs/InP量子点，具有足够的增益，可发射超过2 μm仍然是一个重大挑战。
研究组报道了发射波长超过2 μm的中红外InAs/InP QD激光器的首次演示。通过分子束外延生长的五层InAs/In0.532Ga0.468As/InP量子点在室温下的光致发光强度为2.04 μm，边缘发射激光器实现2.018 μm的激光发射，Jth低至589 A cm−2，最高工作温度为50 °C。值得注意的是，每层的Jth（118 A cm-2）是有史以来报道的室温InP基中红外激光器的最低值，优于QW/Qdash对应物。这些结果为使用InAs/InP量子点的新型低成本、高性能中红外光源铺平了道路，标志着中红外半导体激光器的发展迈出了显著的一步。
附：英文原文
Title: Mid-infrared InAs/InP quantum-dot lasers
Author: Wang, Yangqian, Jia, Hui, Park, Jae-Seong, Zeng, Haotian, Marko, Igor P., Bentley, Matthew, Hajraoui, Khalil El, Liu, Shangfeng, Yang, Bo, Dear, Calum, Bai, Mengxun, Deng, Huiwen, Chen, Chong, Yuan, Jiajing, Li, Jun, Liu, Kongming, Duffy, Dominic A., Yan, Zhao, Wang, Zihao, Sweeney, Stephen J., Zhuang, Qiandong, Ramasse, Quentin M., Chen, Siming, Tang, Mingchu, Li, Qiang, Seeds, Alwyn, Liu, Huiyun
Issue&Volume: 2026-01-12
Abstract: Mid-infrared semiconductor lasers operating in the 2.0–5.0μm spectral range play an important role for various applications, including trace-gas detection, biomedical analysis, and free-space optical communication. InP-based quantum-well (QW) and quantum-dash (Qdash) lasers are promising alternatives to conventional GaSb-based QW lasers because of their lower cost and mature fabrication infrastructure. However, they suffer from high threshold current density (Jth) and limited operation temperatures. InAs/InP quantum-dot (QD) lasers theoretically offer lower Jth owing to their three-dimensional carrier confinement. Nevertheless, achieving high-density, uniform InAs/InP QDs with sufficient gain for lasing over 2μm remains a major challenge. Here, we report the first demonstration of mid-infrared InAs/InP QD lasers emitting beyond 2μm. Five-stack InAs/In0.532Ga0.468As/InP QDs grown by molecular-beam epitaxy exhibit room-temperature photoluminescence at 2.04μm. Edge-emitting lasers achieve lasing at 2.018μm with a low Jth of 589Acm2 and a maximum operation temperature of 50°C. Notably, the Jth per layer (118Acm2) is the lowest ever reported for room-temperature InP-based mid-infrared lasers, outperforming QW/Qdash counterparts. These results pave the way for a new class of low-cost, high-performance mid-infrared light sources using InAs/InP QDs, marking a notable step forward in the development of mid-infrared semiconductor lasers.
DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02167-4