Oscillation device

• US 7,889,015 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Toshihiko, Sekiguchi, Ryota
• Primary Examiner(s): KINKEAD, ARNOLD M
• Application Number:
  US12/091,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 331/107.T, 331/108.C, 331/96, 372/96, 372/43.01, 250/340, 250/251, 257/25, 257/20, 257/24, 257/27
• US Class Current: 331/107.00T
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 1/02 solid
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06255 Controlling the frequency of the radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06256 with DBR-structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2213 based on polyimide or resin
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/227 Buried mesa structure ; Striped active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3027 IV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3031 Si
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3402 intersubband lasers, e.g. transitions within the conduction or valence bands
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3422 comprising type-II quantum wells or superlattices

Abstract

To provide an oscillation device having a long oscillation wavelength in which wavelength variable width is relatively broad and wavelength sweep rate is relatively high. An oscillation device includes a gain medium having a gain with respect to an electromagnetic wave to be oscillated, cavity structures for resonating the electromagnetic wave, and energy injection means and for injecting pumping energy into the gain medium. The gain medium is sandwiched between a first negative permittivity medium and a second magnetic permittivity medium each of which real part of permittivity with respect to the electromagnetic wave is negative. Electric field application means is provided for at least one of the first negative permittivity medium and the second negative permittivity medium to apply an electric field for changing a depletion region formed at a boundary part with the gain medium.

Claims

1. An oscillation device for oscillating an electromagnetic wave having a frequency selected from a frequency region from 30 GHz to 30 THz, comprising:

a first negative permittivity medium of which a real part of permittivity with respect to the electromagnetic wave is negative;

a second negative permittivity medium of which a real part of permittivity with respect to the electromagnetic wave is negative;

a gain medium sandwiched between the first negative permittivity medium and the second negative permittivity medium, and having a gain with respect to the electromagnetic wave;

a cavity structure for resonating the electromagnetic wave;

a drive electrode for injecting carriers into the gain medium to drive the gain medium; and

a control electrode to change thickness of a depletion region formed between at least one of the first and second negative permittivity media and the gain medium for controlling oscillation wavelength, wherein the control electrode is configured to apply an electric potential independently of the drive electrode.

2. The oscillation device according to claim 1,

wherein the cavity structure is configured so as to include a waveguide for propagating the electromagnetic wave,

the gain medium extends along a propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave, and is sandwiched between a first clad of the first negative permittivity medium and a second clad of the second negative permittivity medium at upper and lower parts in a thickness direction thereof, and

the waveguide is configured so as to include the gain medium, the first clad and the second clad.

3. The oscillation device according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first negative permittivity medium and the second negative permittivity medium is configured so as to include a metal, a carrier-doped semiconductor, or a metal and a carrier-doped semiconductor.

4. The oscillation device according to claim 1,

wherein the gain medium is a resonant tunneling diode based on photon-assisted tunneling.

5. The oscillation device according to claim 1,

wherein the drive electrode comprises a first electrode provided on the first negative permittivity medium and a second electrode provided on the second negative permittivity medium, and

the control electrode comprises a third electrode provided on at least one of the first negative permittivity medium and the second negative permittivity medium.