Unipolar quantum optoelectronics for high speed direct modulation and transmission in 8-14 µm atmospheric window.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39271663.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-52053-7 and PMC identifier 11399236.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The large mid-infrared (MIR) spectral region, ranging from 2.5 µm to 25 µm, has remained under-exploited in the electromagnetic spectrum, primarily due to the absence of viable transceiver technologies. Notably, the 8-14 µm long-wave infrared (LWIR) atmospheric transmission window is particularly suitable for free-space optical (FSO) communication, owing to its combination of low atmospheric propagation loss and relatively high resilience to turbulence and other atmospheric disturbances. Here, we demonstrate a direct modulation and direct detection LWIR FSO communication system at 9.1 µm wavelength based on unipolar quantum optoelectronic devices with a unprecedented net bitrate exceeding 55 Gbit s<sup>-1</sup>. A directly modulated distributed feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) with high modulation efficiency and improved RF-design was used as a transmitter while two high speed detectors utilizing meta-materials to enhance their responsivity are employed as receivers; a quantum cascade detector (QCD) and a quantum-well infrared photodetector (QWIP). We investigate system tradeoffs and constraints, and indicate pathways forward for this technology beyond 100 Gbit s<sup>-1</sup> communication.