Experimental analysis of thermal properties of AlGaAs/GaAs quantum cascade lasers

We report on detailed investigation of thermal performance of AlGaAs/GaAs quantum cascade lasers (QCL) emitting at wavelength of 9.4 ìm, with a particular emphasis on the influence of different mounting options and device geometries, which are compared in terms of their influence on the relative increase of the active region temperature. The spatially resolved thermoreflectance (TR) is used to register temperature distribution over the facet of pulse operated QCLs. The devices' thermal resistances are derived from experimental data. Thermal resistances of 15 ìm devices are the highest among the investigated device widths. By combining the experimental and numerical results, an insight into the thermal management in QCLs is gained. The thermal design focuses on optimization of heat dissipation in the device, improving the thermal behavior of QCLs. This is essential in order to increase the maximal operation temperature to further progress the applications of QCLs.

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