Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy
Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy

MBI Staff Member – Personal info

Dr. Jens Tomm

jens.tomm(at)mbi-berlin.de
+49 30 6392 1453

C2: Solid State Light Sources
Building C, 3.1

Position

Project Member: 3.2 "Solids and Nanostructures: Electrons, Spins, and Phonons

Research

High-power semiconductor lasers are the most efficient man-made light sources, and can convert more than 80% electric energy into light. Currently emission powers of one kW continuous-wave powers are extracted from a single monolithic semiconductor chip. We are interested in the intrinsic limitations of such optoelectronic devices in terms of output power, beam quality (brightness) and lifetime (reliability). For this purpose, we analyze devices, but also their components such as surfaces and interfaces or gain materials such as quantum wells, superlattices and quantum dots.
For our experiments, we use optical tools, in particular transient spectroscopy that represents a generic competence of MBI. Such work is naturally carried out as collaborative work with device vendors, who provide us with high-quality industry-grade devices and structures. The use of such devices ensures high reproducibility and the chance to get general results, which not depend on the particular device structure that was studied. In BMBF-projects such as BlauLas, we work together with Osram OS (Regensburg), Dilas GmbH (Maiz) and Laserline GmbH (Mülheim) or in the frame of bilateral research contracts with Lumentum (Santa Clara) and 3S-Photonics (Nozay).
The material basis of the investigated devices is now focused to GaN-based wide-bandgap devices emitting in the ultraviolet to blue spectral regions. The figure shows damage patterns as observed in 450-nm emitting high power diode lasers after it experienced the so-called catastrophic optical damage in short-pulse operation.

Subfigure (a) shows the damage patterns at the font facet, where the light leaves the device (red circle), while (b) shows the same region from the side. A channel is visible which burned into the device and ends ~80 µm underneath the front facet; see (c). Subfigure (d) shows the end of this channel in higher resolution. The quantum wells, i.e. the gain medium are well resolved.

 

Curriculum vitae

2018  East China Normal University as ECNU High-End Expert, China

1999  Visitor at the RIKEN-Institute Sendai, Japan

1995 - present: Senior researcher at MBI

1993-1995: Visiting professor at Georgia Tech Atlanta, USA

1986-1989: R&D group leader in a subcontract "Optical characterization of II-VI materials for IR quantum detector fabrication".

1984-1986: R&D work in a subcontract to "Carl Zeiss Jena" company to develop diode lasers for an IR diode laser spectrometer.

1981-1984: PhD student, Dr. rer. nat. in Physics, summa cum laude, Humboldt University, Berlin 1984 Dissertation: Study of the optical properties of n-Pb1-xSnxTe/p-Pb1-xSnxTe/p-PbTe-heterostructures by means of photoluminescence and injection-luminescence.

1977-1982: Physics studies, Diploma in Physics summa cum laude, Humboldt University, Berlin 1982 Thesis: Luminescence properties of lead salts for optical and electrical excitation.

MBI Publications

  1. Relaxation of packaging-induced strains in AlGaAs-based high-power diode laser arrays

    Q.T. Tien, A. Gerhardt, S. Schwirzke-Schaaf, J.W. Tomm, H. Müntz, J. Biesenbach, M. Oudart, J. Nagle, M.L. Biermann

     Applied Physics Letters 86 (2005) 101911/1-3
  2. Carrier dynamics in laterally strain-modulated InGaAs-quantum wells

    V. Talalaev, J.W. Tomm, T. Elsaesser, U. Zeimer, J. Fricke, A. Knauer, H. Kissel, M. Weyers, G.G. Tarasov, J. Grenzer, U. Pietsch

     Applied Physics Letters 87 (2005) 262103/1-3
  3. Longitudinal modes in InAlGaAs/AlGaAs high-power laser diodes

    B.S. Passmore, Y.C. Chua, M.O. Manasreh, J.W. Tomm

     Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 829 (2005) 87-92
  4. Optically pumped mid infrared emitters built using surface structured PbSe epitaxial layers

    J. Nurnus, U. Vetter, J. Koenig, R. Glatthaar, A. Lambrecht, F. Weik, J.W. Tomm

     SPIE Proceedings 5840 (2005) 212-220
  5. Nonresonant tunneling carrier transfer in bi-layer asymmetric InAs/GaAs quantum dots

    Y.I. Mazur, Z.M. Wang, G.G. Tarasov, G.J. Salamo, J.W. Tomm, V. Talalaev, H. Kissel

     Physical Review B 71 (2005) 235313/1-8
  6. Interdot carrier transfer in asymmetric bi-layers of InAs/GaAs quantum dot structures

    Yu. I. Mazur, Z.M. Wang, G.J. Salamo, Min Xiao, J.W. Tomm, V. Talalaev, H. Kissel

     Applied Physics Letters 86 (2005) 063102/1-3
  7. Thermal properties of high-power diode lasers investigated by micro-thermography

    A. Kozlowska, F. Weik, J.W. Tomm, A. Malag, M. Latoszek, P. Wawrzyniak, M. Teodorczyk, L Dobrzanski, M. Zbroszczyk, M. Bugajski

     SPIE Proceedings 5711 (2005) 158-165
  8. Deep level emission from high-power diode laser bars detected by multispectral infrared imaging

    A. Kozlowska, P. Wawrzyniak, J.W. Tomm, F. Weik, T. Elsaesser

     Applied Physics Letters 87 (2005) 153503/1-3
  9. Studies of the degradation mechanisms in high-power diode lasers using multi-channel micro-thermography

    A. Kozlowska, J.W. Tomm, P. Wawrzyniak, A. Malag, F. Weik, M. Latoszek

     SPIE Proceedings 5958 (2005) 223-229
  10. Analysis of thermal images from diode lasers: Temperature profiling and reliability screening

    A. Kozlowska, M. Latoszek, J.W. Tomm, F. Weik, T. Elsaesser, M. Zbroszczyk, M. Bugajski, B. Spellenberg, M. Bassler

     Applied Physics Letters 86 (2005) 203503/1-3

Other Publications

Books

Juan Jiménez and Jens W. Tomm, "Spectroscopic Analysis of Optoelectronic Semiconductors", Springer Series in Optical Sciences Vol. 202 (Springer, 2016).

Jens W. Tomm and Juan Jiménez, "Quantum-Well Laser Array Packaging", Nanoscience and Technology Series (McGraw-Hill, 2007).