Room temperature continuous wave quantum dot cascade laser emitting at 7.2 μm.

We demonstrate a quantum cascade laser with active regions consisting of InAs quantum dots deposited on GaAs buffer layers that are embedded in InGaAs wells confined by InAlAs barriers. Continuous wave room temperature lasing at the wavelength of 7.2 μm has been demonstrated with the threshold current density as low as 1.89 kA/cm ² , while in pulsed operational mode lasing at temperatures as high as 110 °C had been observed. A phenomenological theory explaining the improved performance due to weak localization of states had been formulated.