Semiconductor lasers

  1. Semiconductor lasers excited by the electron beam and electrical discharge.

In 1967 the first laser cathode-ray tube with a semiconductor screen (LCRT) [1] was invented and produced. LCRT provided light fluxes 10 000 times higher than the household TVs. Later, "Platan" SIR, domestic industry and «Principia optics»  company (USA) continued the LCRT development. More than a dozen of domestic and foreign patents have been received on this subject. The first color laser projection TV in the world with a screen of ​​12m2 was created on LCRT basis in the LPI. The key achievements in this field are given in [1-5]. In 1976 a laser radiation generation under the electric field influence [6] was obtained in direct-gap A2B6 and A3B5 semiconductor compounds. Success in the technology of forming of high voltage ultra short pulses made it possible to continue such kind of research. [7-13]. In collaboration with researchers of the Institute of Electro Physics (Ural Branch of RAS) the original equipment (Figure 1) to excite the semiconductors by picosecond pulses (τ = 10-9-10-10c, U = 200 kV, I = 1kA) of the electron beam and electric field [8,10] has been created.
It is shown that in this case, the runaway electrons [12] can play an important role. In the spectral range of 480-700nm a laser radiation generation with a minimum duration of 10ps and a maximum power of 10kW has been achieved. In 2010 the patent for a new type of electric-semiconductor laser (see Fig. 1) [9] was received. For the first time it was managed to get a consistent generation on several spectral lines in the visible spectrum [11] on electric discharge semiconductor lasers with the active medium of solid A2B6 solutions. In 2013 a new type of electric discharge semiconductor laser with Fauconnier laser target [13] was created.

Fig.1: Exterior view of the experimental installation to excite semiconductors by picosecond pulses of the electron beam and electric field. 1- a test chamber, 2 – a fiber-optic cable, 3 – FEK, 4 - RADAN 303, 5 Pulse Generator – sub nanosecond converter (slicer).

a)b)

Fig.2: Electric-charged semiconductor laser (EPL) of ZnSe (λ = 480nm). (a) a diagram (b) - the proximal zone of radiation.
A diameter of the generating point is ~ 200 mcm.

a)
b)c)

Fig.3 Laboratory prototype of an electric Fauconnier semiconductor laser (a), the proximal (b) and distal (c) the radiation zone of the laser target СdSхSe1-x(λ=572nm)). The diameter of the near zone 3mm divergence α ≈50. The duration of 1 ns, power 3kW.

The Fauconnier application allowed to: use a high voltage output optics, enlarge the image of the near-field radiation and reduce the radiation divergence. Fig. 4 shows a laboratory prototype of the Fauconnier laser, photos of near and far areas. The maximum radiation power was about 3 kW with a pulse duration of ~ 1 ns.

A technology for A2B6 single crystals doping with transition metals was developed in order to enter the long-wavelength area of the spectrum (1-10mkm). Together with the staff of the GPI and Odessa University the optical characteristics of these crystals have been examined and the possibility to obtain a laser radiation in a mode of transverse optical semiconductor pumping doped with transition metal [14] has been demonstrated.

Publications on Research of p. 1

  1. N.G. Basov, O.V. Bogdankevich, A.S. Nasibov. Laser Electron - ray tube // Auth. Certificate №V 3172 (270100) and patents of FRG, France, Austria, Italy, USA. Priority date of 20.02. 1967.
  2. A.S. Nasibov, V.P. Papusha, V.I..Kozlovskiy. Electron-ray tube with a laser screen // Quantum Electronics, 3,534 (1974).
  3. A.S. Nasibov. Towards electron cinema // Radio, 6.15 (1978).
  4. A.S. Nasibov. Laser ERT – a new device of Quantum Electronics .// USSR. 9,48-56 (1984)
  5. A.S. Nasibov et al. Full color TV projector based on A2B6 electron-beam pumped semiconductor lasers / Journal of Cristal Growth 117,1040-1045 (1992)
  6. N.G. Basov et al. Streamer lasers on a solid matter// JETP, 70,5,1751-1761, (1976).
  7. G.A. Mesyats et al. Luminescence and generation of laser radiation in single crystals of zinc selenide and cadmium sulfide by the action of sub nanosecond high-voltage pulses. //JETP, 133,6,1162-1168 (2008).
  8. A.S. Nasibov et al. Experimental facility to excite the semiconductors and dielectrics by picosecond pulses of the electron beam and electric field // RTE, 1,75-84, (2009)
  9. K.V. Berezhnoy et al. Semiconductor electric-discharge laser // RF Patent №2393602 (2010)
  10. K.V. Berezhnoy et al. Facility for registering the picosecond radiation dynamics of semiconductor targets in a gas diode // PTE, 2,273-278, (2010)
  11. A.S. Nasibov et al. CdZnS laser radiation of semiconductor target of a gas diode // CSF 38,4,17-22, (2011)
  12. K.V. Berezhnoy, et al. Emission of a gas diode semiconductor target excited by the electron beam // Quantum Electronics, 42.1, (2012).
  13. A.S. Nasibov et al. Electric-discharge semiconductor laser on A2B6 compounds with Fauconnier insertion .// CSF, 40, 4,25-34 (2013)
  14. N.I. Ilyichev et al. Superluminescent IR emitter on the ZnSe: Fe2 + crystal // Quantum Electronics. 38, 2.95 (2009)