Mid-IR quantum dot cascade VCSEL: feasibility study and feature extraction.

Quantum cascade lasers with quantum dot (QD) active regions have been developed to overcome the drawbacks of quantum-well-based cascade lasers. Low threshold current and enhanced bandwidth characteristics of QD lasers can be combined with promising energy-efficient features of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) through introducing the novel, to the best of our knowledge, concept of a QD cascade VCSEL (QDC-VCSEL). Design steps and predicted features of a QDC-VCSEL operating at 4.