The onset of nonlinear dynamics and chaos is evidenced in a mid-infrared distributed feedback quantum cascade laser both in the temporal and frequency domains. As opposed to the commonly observed route to chaos in semiconductor lasers, which involves undamping of the laser relaxation oscillations, quantum cascade lasers first exhibit regular self-pulsation at the external cavity frequency befor...

Current quantum cascade lasers based upon conduction band electron transitions are predominantly TM (electrical field normal to the epitaxial direction) polarized. Here we present a study of localized defect modes, with the requisite TM polarization, in connected square and hexagonal lattice twodimensional (2D) photonic crystals for application as quantum cascade laser resonators. A simple grou...