Mode-Locked Dual-Wavelength Heterolasers for Terahertz Generation via Intracavity Wave Mixing

It is shown that the mid/far-infrared (IR) and THz pulse generation via intracavity difference-frequency mixing in quantum-well dual-wavelength heterolasers can be rather efficient under mode-locking regime for one or both lasing fields even at room temperature. In a simple model we derive an explicit formula for intensity of the generated IR or THz pulse and find that this method is capable of producing picosecond pulses at ≈ 1 GHz repetition rate with the peak power of the order of 1 W and ≤ 0.2 mW at 10 μm and 50 μm wavelengths, respectively.