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Landau level laser

Nature Photonics volume 15, pages 875–883 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Tunable lasers in the terahertz frequency range are of great demand for many spectroscopic applications. The first continuously tunable p-Ge Landau level terahertz laser had the drawback of pulsed operation at very low temperatures. There have been promising developments of Landau level lasers based on graphene in combination with other two-dimensional materials. Extended theoretical work has resulted in an understanding of carrier dynamics and the relevant Auger and phonon processes. Both optical and electrical pumping schemes have been proposed to achieve inversion and lasing. There are still open questions about the combination of two-dimensional structures and the carrier transfer mechanisms between the layers. By solving the technological challenges, the realization of a near room-temperature Landau level laser can be envisaged.

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Fig. 1: Laser spectra and the tuning rate of the p-Ge laser.

panel a adapted with permission from ref. 44, APS

Fig. 2: Magneto transmission and the tuning range of Landau level splittings in graphene.
Fig. 3: Direct comparison of the carrier relaxation times of graphene seen in differential transmission spectra.
Fig. 4: Schematic of the Dirac cone and Landau levels for graphene.
Fig. 5: Schematic structures for tunnel injection pumped inversion in graphene.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Solid State Electronics, Technical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Erich Gornik

  2. Center for Micro- and Nanostructures, Technical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Gottfried Strasser

  3. Institute for Photonics, Technical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Karl Unterrainer

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  1. Erich Gornik
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  2. Gottfried Strasser
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  3. Karl Unterrainer
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Correspondence to Erich Gornik.

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Gornik, E., Strasser, G. & Unterrainer, K. Landau level laser. Nat. Photon. 15, 875–883 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-021-00879-8

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