Temperature-Insensitive Imaging Properties of a Broadband Terahertz Nonlinear Quantum Cascade Laser

Terahertz (THz) quantum cascade laser sources based on optical nonlinearity are the only electrically pumped monolithic semiconductor sources operable at room temperature in the 0.6–6 THz range. We investigated the temperature dependence of the imaging characteristics of a broadband THz nonlinear quantum cascade laser and evaluated several important properties: the spectrum, far-field pattern and THz imaging results. Consequently, we found that the far-field patterns were single-lobed Gaussian-like, and THz images were well-resolved despite the lower operating temperature of the device. The stable temperature-performance indicates that this broadband THz source is promising for THz imaging applications.