Design of distributed feedback grating for QCL based on time-domain finite-difference method

Jintao Cui; Guang Chen; Dongliang Zhang; Shiya Zhang; Lidan Lu; Lianqing Zhu

doi:10.1007/s11801-025-4150-5

Optoelectronics Letters ›› 2025, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (9) : 520 -527. DOI: 10.1007/s11801-025-4150-5

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Design of distributed feedback grating for QCL based on time-domain finite-difference method

Jintao Cui ¹^,²
, Guang Chen ¹^,²^,³^,^a
, Dongliang Zhang ⁴^,^b
, Shiya Zhang ¹^,²^,⁵
, Lidan Lu ¹^,²^,³
, Lianqing Zhu ¹^,²^,³

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¹ Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education Optoelectronics Measurement Technology and Instrument, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, 100016, Beijing, China

² School of Instrument Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, 100192, Beijing, China

³ , Guangzhou Nansha Intelligent Photonic Sensing Research Institute, 511462, Guangzhou, China

⁴ No.11 Research Institute, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), 100015, Beijing, China

⁵ Department of Optical Engineering, School of Opto-Electronic Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, 130022, Changchun, China

^a guangchen@bistu.edu.cn

^b zdllzu2007@163.com

CHEN Guang is an assistant professor at School of Instrument Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, Beijing Information Science and Technology University. He received the Ph.D. degree from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. His research interests are mainly focused on microwave photonics, silicon photonics, photonic computing and radio over fiber system. ZHANG Dongliang is a research associate at No.11 Research Institute, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). He received Ph.D. degree in 2015 from Institute of Semiconductor, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests are mainly in the areas of silicon photonic integrated components in sensing and computing applications, low-dimensional semiconductor optoelectronic devices, etc.

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Abstract

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) have broad application potentials in infrared countermeasure system, free-space optical communication and trace gas detection. Compared with traditional Fabry-Pérot (FP) cavity and external cavity, distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers (DFB-QCLs) can obtain narrower laser linewidth and higher integration. In this paper, the structure design, numerical simulation and optimization of the Bragg grating of DFB-QCLs are carried out to obtain the transmission spectrum with central wavelength at 4.6 µm. We analyze the relationship among the structure parameters, the central wavelength shift and transmission efficiency using coupled-wave theory and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. It is shown that the increase in the number of grating periods enhances the capabilities of mode selectivity, while the grating length of a single period adjustment directly determines the Bragg wavelength. Additionally, variations in etching depth and duty cycle lead to blue and red shifts in the central wavelength, respectively. Based on the numerical simulation results, the optimized design parameters for the upper buffer layer and the upper cladding grating are proposed, which gives an optional scheme for component fabrication and performance improvement in the future.

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Jintao Cui, Guang Chen, Dongliang Zhang, Shiya Zhang, Lidan Lu, Lianqing Zhu. Design of distributed feedback grating for QCL based on time-domain finite-difference method. Optoelectronics Letters, 2025, 21(9): 520-527 DOI:10.1007/s11801-025-4150-5