Pushing the room temperature continous-wave operation limit of GaSb-based interband cascade lasers beyond 6 μ\mum

We present GaSb-based interband cascade lasers emitting at a center wavelength of 6.12 $\mu$m at 20$^\circ$C in continuous-wave operation up to a maximum operating temperature of 40$^\circ$C. Pulsed measurements based on broad area devices show improved performance by applying the recently published approach of adjusting the GaInSb layer thickness in the active region to reduce the valence intersubband absorption. The W-quantum well design adjustment and the optimization of the electron injector, to rebalance the electron and hole concentrations in the active quantum wells, improved the device performance, yielding room temperature current densities as low as 0.5 kA/cm$^2$ for broad area devices under pulsed operation. As a direct result of this improvement the long wavelength limit for GaSb-based ICLs in continuous wave operation could be extended. For an epi-side down mounted 23 $\mu$m wide and 2 mm long device with 9 active stages and high-reflectivity back facet the threshold power is below 1 W and the optical output power is over 25 mW at 20$^\circ$C in continuous-wave mode. Such low-threshold and low-power consumption interband cascade lasers are especially attractive for mobile and compact sensing systems

Double-waveguide interband cascade laser with dual wavelength emission

We are grateful for receiving financial support within the BMBF Project “LASELO” (FKZ: 13N13773).Interband cascade lasers (ICLs) with dual wavelength emission have been realized by utilizing two spatially separated active regions in the same device. The two wavelengths (3.1 and 3.7 µm) were chosen in order to demonstrate that the usual spectral gain bandwidth of an ICL can be overcome. At 20°C, threshold current densities as low as 215 A/cm² (short wavelength) and 158 A/cm² (long wavelength) could be achieved in pulsed mode. It was possible for an epi-up mounted device to maintain dual-wavelength continuous-wave emission up to 0°C. Despite the longer wavelength emission being suppressed at higher temperatures, the shorter wavelength maintained an output power of more than 10 mW at 15°C.PostprintPeer reviewe

TRENDS IN THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN LOGISTICS SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

There are more and more modern logistics systems on the market that, as part of control systems, must guarantee production flexibility, required delivery dates, market readiness and liability for binding capital into inventory. Market globalization imposes the necessity of meeting certain standards in business that guarantee the quality of work done. The rapid development and use of information and communication technologies in support of the individual needs of users are becoming increasingly important for successful implementation of business activities. The paper analyzes the role of information and communication technologies in logistic processes and in the integration of logistics systems. Examples from practice confirm the reasons for increased investments made by companies engaged in this segment of work with an aim to optimize business operations and increase profits. The emphasis is placed on the significant role of information technology in logistics operations, current results and applications, as well as possible future applications

Effects of lumacaftor—ivacaftor therapy on cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator function in F508del homozygous patients with cystic fibrosis aged 2–11 years

Rationale: Lumacaftor/ivacaftor was approved for the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis who are homozygous for F508del aged 2 years and older following positive results from phase three trials. However, the improvement in CFTR function associated with lumacaftor/ivacaftor has only been studied in patients over 12 years of age, while the rescue potential in younger children is unknown.Methods: In a prospective study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of lumacaftor/ivacaftor on the CFTR biomarkers sweat chloride concentration and intestinal current measurement as well as clinical outcome parameters in F508del homozygous CF patients 2–11 years before and 8–16 weeks after treatment initiation.Results: A total of 13 children with CF homozygous for F508del aged 2–11 years were enrolled and 12 patients were analyzed. Lumacaftor/ivacaftor treatment reduced sweat chloride concentration by 26.8 mmol/L (p = 0.0006) and showed a mean improvement in CFTR activity, as assessed by intestinal current measurement in the rectal epithelium, of 30.5% compared to normal (p = 0.0015), exceeding previous findings of 17.7% of normal in CF patients homozygous for F508del aged 12 years and older.Conclusion: Lumacaftor/ivacaftor partially restores F508del CFTR function in children with CF who are homozygous for F508del, aged 2–11 years, to a level of CFTR activity seen in patients with CFTR variants with residual function. These results are consistent with the partial short-term improvement in clinical parameters

Amplification of GaSb-Based Diode Lasers in an Erbium-Doped Fluoride Fibre Amplifier

Building upon recent advances in GaSb-based diode lasers and Er-doped fluoride fibre technologies, this article demonstrates for the first time the fibre-based amplification of mid-infrared diode lasers in the wavelength range around 2.78 $\mu$m. The laser setup consists of a GaSb-based diode laser and a single-stage Er-doped fibre amplifier. Amplification is investigated for continuous wave (CW) and ns-pulsed input signals, generated by gain-modulation of the GaSb-based seed lasers. The experimental results include the demonstration of output powers up to 0.9 W, pulse durations as short as 20 ns, and pulse repetition rates up to 1 MHz. Additionally, the amplification of commercial and custom-made GaSb-based seed lasers is compared and the impact of different fibre end-cap materials on laser performance is analysed

Sampling bias and incorrect rooting make phylogenetic network tracing of SARS-COV-2 infections unreliable.

There is obvious interest in gaining insights into the epidemiology and evolution of the virus that has recently emerged in humans as the cause of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The recent paper by Forster et al. (1), analyzed 160 SARS-CoV-2 full genomes available (https://www.gisaid.org/) in early March 2020. The central claim is the identification of three main SARS-CoV-2 types, named A, B, and C, circulating in different proportions among Europeans and Americans (types A and C) and East Asian (type B). According to a median-joining network analysis, variant A is proposed to be the ancestral type because it links to the sequence of a coronavirus from bats, used as an outgroup to trace the ancestral origin of the human strains. The authors further suggest that the “ancestral Wuhan B-type virus is immunologically or environmentally adapted to a large section of the East Asian population, and may need to mutate to overcome resistance outside East Asia”. There are several serious flaws with their findings and interpretation. First, and most obviously, the sequence identity between SARS-CoV-2 and the bat virus is only 96.2%, implying that these viral genomes (which are nearly 30,000 nucleotides long) differ by more than 1,000 mutations. Such a distant outgroup is unlikely to provide a reliable root for the network. Yet, strangely, the branch to the bat virus, in Figure 1 of the paper, is only 16 or 17 mutations in length. Indeed, the network seems to be mis-rooted because (see Supplementary Figure 4) a virus from Wuhan from week 0 (24th December 2019) is portrayed as a descendant of a clade of viruses collected in weeks 1-9 (presumably from many places outside China), which makes no evolutionary (2), nor epidemiological sense (3).N

Interband cascade lasers for applications in absorption spectroscopy

Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Entwicklung und Weiterentwicklung von Laserlichtquellen basierend auf der Interbandkaskadentechnologie in einem Wellenlängenbereich von ca. 3 bis 6 µm. Der Fokus lag dabei auf der Entwicklung von Kantenemitter-Halbleiterlasern, welche bei verschiedensten Emissionswellenlängen erfolgreich hergestellt werden konnten. Dabei wurde auf jeweilige Herausforderungen eingegangen, welche entweder durch die Herstellung selbst oder der anwendungstechnischen Zielsetzung bedingt war. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden verschiedene, spektral einzelmodige Halbleiterlaser im angesprochenen Wellenlängenbereich entwickelt und hergestellt. Basierend auf dem jeweiligen Epitaxiematerial und der angestrebten Emissionswellenlänge wurden Simulationen der optischen Lasermode durchgeführt und die grundlegenden für die Herstellung notwendigen Parameter bestimmt und experimentell umgesetzt. Des Weiteren wurden die verwendeten Verfahren für den jeweiligen Herstellungsprozess angepasst und optimiert. Das umfasst die in den ersten Kapiteln beschriebenen Schritte wie optische Lithografie, Elektronenstrahllithografie, reaktives Trockenätzen und verschiedene Arten der Materialdeposition. Mit einer Emissionswellenlänge von 2,8 µm wurde beispielsweise der bislang kurzwelligste bei Raumtemperatur im Dauerstrichbetrieb betriebene einzelmodige Interbandkaskadenlaser hergestellt. Dessen Leistungsmerkmale sind mit Diodenlasern im entsprechenden Emissionsbereich vergleichbar. Somit ergänzt die Interbandkaskadentechnologie bestehende Technologien nahtlos und es ist eine lückenlose Wellenlängenabdeckung bis in den mittleren Infrarotbereich möglich. Je nach Herstellungsprozess wurde außerdem auf die verteilte Rückkopplung eingegangen und die Leistungsfähigkeit des verwendeten Metallgitterkonzeptes anhand von Messungen an spektral einzelmodigen Bauteile aufgezeigt. Es wurden aber auch die je nach Zielsetzung unterschiedlichen Herausforderungen aufgezeigt und diskutiert. Für eine Anwendung wurden spezielle Laserchips mit zwei einzelmodigen Emissionswellenlängen bei 3928 nm und 4009 nm entwickelt. Die beiden Wellenlängen sind für die Detektion von Schwefeldioxid und Schwefelwasserstoff geeignet, welche zur Überwachung und Optimierung der Schwefelgewinnung durch das Claus-Verfahren notwendig sind. Bei der Umsetzung wurden auf einzelnen Chips zwei Laseremitter in einem Abstand von 70 µm platziert und mit je einem Metallgitter versehen. Das verwendete Epitaxiematerial war so konzipiert, dass es optimal für beide Zielwellenlängen verwendet werden kann. Die geforderten Eigenschaften wurden erfüllt und die Bauteile konnten erfolgreich hergestellt werden. Die Emissionseigenschaften und das spektrale Verhalten wurde bei beiden Zielwellenlängen bestimmt. Einzeln betrachtet erfüllen beide Emitter die notwendigen Eigenschaften um für spektroskopische Anwendungen eingesetzt werden zu können. Ergänzend wurde zum einen das Abstimmverhalten der Emissionswellenlänge in Abhängigkeit der Modulationsfrequenz des Betriebsstromes untersucht und zusätzlich die thermische Abhängigkeit der Betriebsparameter beider Kanäle zueinander bestimmt. Diese Abhängigkeit ist für eine simultane Messung mit beiden Kanälen notwendig. Das Konzept mit mehreren Stegwellenleitern pro Laserchip wurde in einem weiteren Fall noch stärker ausgearbeitet. Denn je nach Komplexität eines Gasgemisches sind zur Bestimmung der einzelnen Komponenten mehr Messpunkte bzw. Wellenlängen notwendig. Im zweiten Fall ist die Analyse der Kohlenwasserstoffe Methan, Ethan, Propan, Butan, Iso-Butan, Pentan und Iso-Pentan von Interesse, welche als Hauptbestandteile von Erdgas z.B. in Erdgasaufbereitungsanlagen oder zur Bestimmung des Heizwertes analysiert werden müssen. Die genannten Kohlenwasserstoffe zeigen ein starkes Absorptionsverhalten im Wellenlängenbereich von 3,3 bis 3,5 µm. Auf dem entsprechend angepassten Interbandkaskadenmaterial wurden Bauteile mit neun Wellenleitern pro Laserchip hergestellt. Mithilfe der neun einzelmodigen Emissionskanäle konnte ein Bereich von bis zu 190 nm (21 meV, 167 cm-1) adressiert werden. Außerdem wurde der sich mit zunehmender Wellenlänge ändernde Schichtaufbau und dessen Einfluss auf die Bauteileigenschaften diskutiert. Die Leistungsdaten der langwelligsten Epitaxie waren im Vergleich deutlich schwächer. Um diesen Nachteil zu kompensieren, wurde eine spezielle Wellenleitergeometrie mit doppeltem Steg genutzt. Die Eigenschaften des Konzeptes wurden zuerst mittels Simulation untersucht und ein entsprechendes Herstellungsverfahren entwickelt. Mit der Simulation als Grundlage wurden die verschiedenen Prozessparameter über mehrere Prozessläufe iterativ optimiert und somit die Performance der Laser verbessert. Auch mit diesem Verfahren konnte ausreichende Kopplung an das Metallgitter erzielt werden. Abschließend wurden mit diesem Herstellungsverfahren einzelmodige Laser im Wellenlängenbereich von 5,9 bis über 6 Mikrometern realisiert. Diese Laser emittierten im Dauerstrichbetrieb bei einer maximalen Betriebstemperatur von -2 °C. Insgesamt wurde anhand der im Rahmen dieser Arbeit entwickelten Bauteilen und de ren Charakterisierung gezeigt, dass diese die Anforderungen von TLAS Anwendungen erfüllen. Jedoch konnte nur auf einen Teil der Möglichkeiten eingegangen werden, den die Interbandkaskadentechnologie bietet, denn die angesprochenen Einsatzgebiete stellen nur einzelne grundlegende Möglichkeiten dieser Technologie mit Schwerpunkt auf laserbasierte Lichtquellen dar. Zusammenfassend kann allerdings gesagt werden, dass sich die Interbandkaskadentechnologie etabliert hat. Gerade durch die gezeigten Leistungsdaten bei den Wellenlängen um 2,9 µm, 3,4 µm und 4,0 µm im Dauerstrichbetrieb bei Raumtemperatur wird ersichtlich, dass im Bereich der Sensorik die ICL Technologie in Bezug auf niedriger Strom- bzw. Leistungsaufnahme quasi konkurrenzlos ist. Sicherlich werden die Anwendungsgebiete in Zukunft noch vielfältiger. Denn es sind auf jeden Fall weitere Fortschritte in Richtung höherer Emissionswellenlängen, deutlich höherer Betriebstemperaturen, verbreiterte Emissionsbereiche oder gänzlich andere Bauteil Konzepte wie z.B. für Frequenzkämme bzw. Terahertz Anwendungen zu erwarten. Diese Entwicklung betrifft nicht nur den Einsatz als Lichtquelle, denn auch Interbandkaskadendetektoren bzw. Solarzellen wurden schon realisiert und werden weiterentwickelt.The work aimed for the development and enhancement of laser sources in the wavelength range from 3 to 6 μm, based on the interband cascade technology. The focus here was to work on edge-emitting semiconductor lasers, which were successfully realized at various wavelengths. In each chapter, the respective challenges were discussed, resulting either from the fabrication process itself or from the underlying application requirements. Within the scope of this work, various spectrally single-mode semiconductor lasers were developed and fabricated within the abovementioned wavelength range. Based on the particular epitaxial material and the targeted emission wavelength, optical mode simulations were performed, the basic processing parameters were derived and later experimentally realized. Furthermore, the methods for the respective manufacturing processes were varied and optimized. This includes processing steps like optical lithography, electron lithography, reactive ion etching and various kinds of material deposition, as described in the first chapters. For example, with an emission wavelength of 2.8 μm in continuous wave mode at room temperature, we demonstrated the shortest ICL DFB emission [SWE+15]. Its performance characteristics are comparable to conventional diode lasers in the same wavelength region. Therefore, the interband cascade technology supplements existing technologies and enables gap-free wavelength coverage up to the mid infrared region. Depending on the fabrication process, the distributed feedback and the efficiency of the used metal grating approach was shown by the demonstration of various spectrally singe mode devices and their performance figures. The various challenges were highlighted in terms of their individual requirements. Customized laser chips with two single-mode emission wavelengths at 3928 nm and 4009 nm were developed for one application [SWB+17]. Both wavelengths are useful for the detection of sulfur oxide and hydrogen sulfide within the Claus process, allowing monitoring and optimization when the concentration levels of these gases are known. Both emitters were realized on single chips, with a distance of 70 μm between each other and each ridge was provided with an individual metal grating. The underlying epitaxial material was designed that it could be optimally used for both target wavelengths. Ultimately, the requirements were met and the devices were fabricated successfully. The performance figures and the spectral behavior were determined at both target wavelengths. Individually, both emitters are capable of being used in spectroscopic applications. In addition, the tuning rate of the emission wavelength depending on the current modulation frequency and the thermal crosstalk between both emitters were investigated. Knowledge of the thermal crosstalk is of interest, when both emitters are used simultaneously. The concept of multiple ridge waveguides per laser chip was further elaborated in another case. Depending on the complexity of the gas mixture, more measurement points/wavelengths are required, to determine the individual components. In a second approach, mixtures of hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, isobutene, pentane and isopentane are of interest. These main components of natural gas are tracked in natural gas processing plants, for example, or used to determine the calorific value. These hydrocarbons show strong absorption features in the 3.3 to 3.5 μm wavelength range. Devices with nine emitters per chip were fabricated on the appropriately adjusted epitaxial material. These nine single mode emission channels were able to cover a range of 190 nm (21 meV, 167 cm-1). In addition, the changes of the epitaxial structure with respect to increasing emission wavelength and their influence on the device behavior are discussed. The performance data of the longest wavelength epitaxy were significantly weaker in comparison. To compensate for that drawback, a special waveguide design with a double ridge structure was used. The properties of this concept were first investigated by means of simulation and an appropriate processing route was determined. Using the simulation as a basis, the design parameters were iteratively optimized over multiple fabrication runs and the performance of the lasers was improved. With this approach, sufficient coupling of the laser mode to the metal grating was also realized. Finally, single-mode lasers in the wavelength range from 5.9 to over 6 μm were realized using the double ridge fabrication technique. These lasers were operated in continuous wave mode at a maximum operation temperature of -2 °C. Overall, the devices developed within this work and their characteristics show, that the requirements for TLAS applications are met. However, only a part of the possibilities of the interband cascade technology could be addressed, since the discussed application areas are focused on laser-based light sources. In summary, interband cascade technology has established itself. In particular, the performance data at 2.9 μm, 3.4 μm and 4.0 μm in continuous wave operation at room temperature show that the ICL technology is almost unrivaled in terms of low current/power consumption. Certainly, the areas of application will be even more diverse in the future. Further progress in terms of higher emission wavelengths, higher operation temperatures, and broadband wavelength emission can be expected. Other concepts such as frequency combs [BFS+18, SWP+17] or terahertz [VM99] emission can also be realized. This development does not only concern the light sources, also interband cascade detectors or solar cells [YTK+10, HTR+13, TK15, HLL+18, LLL+17a, LLL+17b] have already been realized and are being further developed

Single-mode interband cascade lasers emitting below 2.8 μm

Financial support by the European Commission within the WideLase Seventh Framework Programme Project (Grant Agreement No.: 318798) is gratefully acknowledged.In this work, single-mode distributed feedback (DFB) interband cascade laser (ICL) devices with record short wavelength emission below 2.8 μm are presented. Pulsed measurements based on broad area laser devices with a cavity of 2 mm length and 150 μm width showed threshold current densities of 383 A/cm2 at T = 20 °C and a characteristic temperature T0 of 67 K. Fabricated DFB devices were operated in continuous wave mode at room temperature, with threshold currents of 57 mA and demonstrated side mode suppression ratios of larger than 25 dB. The devices showed current tuning ranges of 7 nm and total (including drive current and temperature) tuning ranges of 12 nm, with respective tuning rates of 21 nm/W, 0.13 nm/mA and 0.29 nm/K. Using the full spectral gain bandwidth of the underlying ICL material, single-mode DFB emission was observed within a wavelength range of 150 nm utilizing different DFB grating periods.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Mid-infrared interband cascade LEDs emitting >5 mW of output power

We present ICLEDs emitting at peak wavelengths of around 3.7 µm. A record efficiency was achieved by growing the epitaxial structures on low doped substrates and positioning the active stages at antinodes of the optical field

Room temperature operation of single mode GaSb‐based DFB interband cascade lasers beyond 6.1 µm

Abstract Single‐mode distributed feedback GaSb‐based interband cascade lasers with record emission beyond 6.1 µm are presented. The results are based on an epitaxial design with reduced resonant intersubband absorption in the valence band and rebalanced internally generated carriers. The epi‐down mounted 8 µm wide and 1 mm long laser chip is operated in continuous wave mode at room temperature and covers a bandwidth of over 20 nm with temperature and current tuning. At 25°C more than 4 mW of optical output power was measured