Output details
13 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials
University of Leeds
Coherent sampling of active mode-locked terahertz quantum cascade lasers and frequency synthesis
AGD-3: This work, collaborative with two groups in Paris, reports the first active mode-locking of a terahertz quantum cascade laser (QCL), and coherent detection of the emitted pulse train. Indeed, this is the first coherent optical sampling of any mode-locked laser. In addition to providing insight into the dynamics of such lasers, this supports development of high-power coherent terahertz QCL imaging/spectroscopy systems, enabling the acquisition of both phase (time-of-flight) and amplitude (absorption) information. This helped underpin an EPSRC Programme Grant with UCL, LCN and Cambridge (EP/J017671, PI:Seeds, £6,568,979), which in part aims to lock terahertz QCLs to continuous-wave telecommunications-based sources.