Upconversion lasing, heat transfer and stimulated cooling in solids

K. Sandner; H. Ritsch

doi:10.1117/12.2058535

19 February 2014 Upconversion lasing, heat transfer and stimulated cooling in solids

K. Sandner, H. Ritsch

Proceedings Volume 9000, Laser Refrigeration of Solids VII; 90000N (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2058535
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2014, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

A laser can convert pump energy to light in a coherent single mode field of an optical resonator. If the energy is taken from a thermodynamic reservoir the energy conversion process reaches Carnot efficiency. From a different viewpoint, a laser thus can also be seen as a refrigerator for efficient heat extraction from hot environment via stimulated emission. This process can be studied well at a toy model of a quantum well structure with suitably designed tunnel-coupled wells kept at different temperature. Lasing appears concurrent with amplified heat flow and points to a new form of stimulated solid state cooling. From a practical point of view, this mechanism could help to raise the operating temperature limit of quantum cascade lasers by substituting phonon emission driven injection, which generates intrinsic heat, by an extended model with phonon absorption steps. Other implementations in systems with phonon driven up conversion of photons could be equally envisaged.

Citation Download Citation

K. Sandner and H. Ritsch "Upconversion lasing, heat transfer and stimulated cooling in solids", Proc. SPIE 9000, Laser Refrigeration of Solids VII, 90000N (19 February 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2058535

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