In this work, we demonstrate the features of a two-stage epitaxial growth technique and show the results of power and efficiency measurements for three different designs of quantum cascade lasers with a record-high peak power in the 8 μm spectral region. The time-resolved QCL spectral study proves that InP-based upper cladding paired with an InP contact layer provides better heat dissipation and allows one to reach better power characteristics in comparison with InGaAs-based contact, even with short pulse pumping.
Keywords: InP-contact layer; high-power QCL; mid-infrared.