{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T18:42:44Z","timestamp":1785436964138,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Optica Publishing Group","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]],"date-time":"2026-03-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772755200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1364\/OA_License_v2#VOR-OA"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]],"date-time":"2026-03-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772755200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/opg.optica.org\/policies\/opg-tdm-policy.json"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005632","name":"Narodowe Centrum Bada\u0144 i Rozwoju","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["TECHMATSTRATEG-III\/0026\/2019-00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TECHMATSTRATEG-III\/0026\/2019-00"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005632","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005632","name":"National Centre for Research and Development","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["FENG.01.01-IP.01-A0MR\/24-00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FENG.01.01-IP.01-A0MR\/24-00"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005632","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"},{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05pwfyy15","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["opg.optica.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Opt. Express"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    This paper presents a comprehensive study of mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) designed with optimized active region geometries and large optical cavity (LOC) structures to achieve enhanced performance. The devices were fabricated using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and characterized in terms of electro-optical, spectral, and far-field properties. The introduction of LOC architectures significantly reduced waveguide losses, improved optical confinement, and enhanced beam collimation. Devices with 50 active region stages and LOC design (QCL#3_LOC) exhibited the lowest waveguide losses (\u223c1.9\u2005cm\n                    <jats:sup>\u22121<\/jats:sup>\n                    ) and the narrowest vertical far-field divergence (FWHM = 27.1\u00b0), while maintaining stable emission around 5.3\u2005\u00b5m. Compared to conventional designs, the optimized structures achieved nearly four times higher output power (up to 3 W) and a reduced threshold current density (\u223c2.5\u2005kA\/cm\n                    <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                    ), with a wall-plug efficiency exceeding 4%. Spectral measurements revealed narrower electroluminescence linewidths and reduced current-induced redshift, confirming improved carrier uniformity and thermal management. These results demonstrate that combining active region optimization with LOC engineering provides a powerful route to increased performance and reliability of mid-infrared QCLs, making them promising candidates for high-power applications such as gas sensing, spectroscopy, and free-space optical communication.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1364\/oe.582807","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,25]],"date-time":"2026-02-25T11:00:08Z","timestamp":1772017208000},"page":"9221","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1364\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Enhanced performance of quantum cascade lasers through active region optimization and large optical cavity engineering"],"prefix":"10.1364","volume":"34","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6908-9862","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kamil","family":"Pier\u015bci\u0144ski","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"\u0141ukasiewicz Research Network \u2013 Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dorota","family":"Pier\u015bci\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u0141ukasiewicz Research Network \u2013 Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katarzyna","family":"Pieniak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u0141ukasiewicz Research Network \u2013 Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-2928-7367","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Dominika","family":"Niewczas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u0141ukasiewicz Research Network \u2013 Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Iwona","family":"Sankowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u0141ukasiewicz Research Network \u2013 Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2727-6165","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Grzegorz","family":"Sobczak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u0141ukasiewicz Research Network \u2013 Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Artur","family":"Broda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u0141ukasiewicz Research Network \u2013 Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"285","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"553","DOI":"10.1126\/science.264.5158.553","type":"journal-article","volume":"264","author":"Faist","year":"1994","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R2","author":"Botez","year":"2023"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8462","DOI":"10.1364\/OE.23.008462","type":"journal-article","volume":"23","author":"Razeghi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Opt. Express"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"589","DOI":"10.3390\/photonics9080589","type":"journal-article","volume":"9","author":"Bertrand","year":"2022","journal-title":"Photonics"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"41252","DOI":"10.1364\/OE.505349","type":"journal-article","volume":"31","author":"Niu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Opt. Express"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4158","DOI":"10.1364\/OL.40.004158","type":"journal-article","volume":"40","author":"Xie","year":"2015","journal-title":"Opt. Lett."},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"181102","DOI":"10.1063\/1.3586773","type":"journal-article","volume":"98","author":"Bai","year":"2011","journal-title":"Appl. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cplett.2009.12.073","type":"journal-article","volume":"487","author":"Curl","year":"2010","journal-title":"Chem. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"808","DOI":"10.1109\/2944.788454","type":"journal-article","volume":"5","author":"Gmachl","year":"1999","journal-title":"IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron."},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"231104","DOI":"10.1063\/1.3042213","type":"journal-article","volume":"93","author":"Bismuto","year":"2008","journal-title":"Appl. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcrysgro.2017.02.031","type":"journal-article","volume":"466","author":"Gutowski","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Cryst. Growth"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1621","DOI":"10.3390\/ma12101621","type":"journal-article","volume":"12","author":"Gutowski","year":"2019","journal-title":"Materials"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1144","DOI":"10.1002\/pssb.201350322","type":"journal-article","volume":"251","author":"Bugajski","year":"2014","journal-title":"Phys. Status Solidi B"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1157","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcrysgro.2009.11.005","type":"journal-article","volume":"312","author":"Wang","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Cryst. Growth"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.3390\/photonics4040047","type":"journal-article","volume":"4","author":"Pier\u015bci\u0144ska","year":"2017","journal-title":"Photonics"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"016204","DOI":"10.1088\/2053-1591\/aaa6f8","type":"journal-article","volume":"5","author":"Pier\u015bci\u0144ska","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mater. Res. Express"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.1007\/s00340-024-08329-3","type":"journal-article","volume":"130","author":"Niewczas","year":"2024","journal-title":"Appl. Phys. B"},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4934","DOI":"10.1364\/OL.569430","type":"journal-article","volume":"50","author":"Niewczas","year":"2025","journal-title":"Opt. Lett."},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1109\/JSTQE.2019.2948500","type":"journal-article","volume":"25","author":"Pier\u015bci\u0144ski","year":"2019","journal-title":"IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron."},{"key":"oe-34-5-9221-R20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"043112","DOI":"10.1063\/1.4746791","type":"journal-article","volume":"112","author":"Pier\u015bci\u0144ski","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Appl. Phys."}],"container-title":["Optics Express"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/opg.optica.org\/viewmedia.cfm?URI=oe-34-5-9221&seq=0","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T13:08:04Z","timestamp":1778677684000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/opg.optica.org\/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-34-5-9221"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]]},"references-count":20,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1364\/oe.582807","relation":{},"ISSN":["1094-4087"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1094-4087","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Optica Publishing Group","name":"publisher","label":"This article is maintained by"},{"value":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1364\/OE.582807","name":"articlelink","label":"Crossref DOI link to publisher maintained version"},{"value":"research-article","name":"content_type","label":"Article type"},{"value":"Screened by Similarity Check","name":"cross_check","label":"Similarity check"},{"value":"Yes","order":0,"name":"peer_reviewed","label":"Peer reviewed","group":{"name":"peer_review","label":"Peer review"}},{"value":"Single blind","order":1,"name":"review_process","label":"Review process","group":{"name":"peer_review","label":"Peer review"}},{"value":"27 October 2025","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"16 February 2026","order":1,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"6 March 2026","order":2,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"\u00a9 2026 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright"}]}}