Progress in Interband Cascade Lasers: From Edge Emitting Lasers to VCSELs

Mid-infrared lasers are crucial devices to enable optical spectroscopy in this spectral region of strategic importance for molecular sensing. In this presentation, we will review our recent progress in mid-infrared sources based on interband cascade active regions for operation in the L-band (wavelength of ~ 3.4μm) and in particular towards the demonstration of VCSELs, the most promising laser embodiment for energy-efficient portable tunable sources.