Seminars
Events for November 13, 2025
Unlocking Broadband LWIR Laser Combs with Ultimate Dispersion Compensation
Dr. Tianyi Zeng Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied SciencesBroadband frequency combs in the long-wavelength infrared (LWIR, 8–13 µm) hold great promise for high-precision sensing and spectroscopy, but achieving comb operation in this regime has been limited by strong material dispersion and fabrication constraints. This talk presents recent advances enabling an on-chip LWIR quantum-cascade laser (QCL) frequency comb with unprecedented bandwidth through precise dispersion engineering. I will first introduce the background in dual-comb spectroscopy, fundamental comb theory, and traditional dispersion characterization techniques. Building on this foundation, I will describe a new dispersion-characterization approach that quantifies bias-dependent group-velocity dispersion in LWIR QCLs and the subsequent implementation of an air-dielectric double-chirped mirror (DCM) providing tailored broadband compensation. I will then delve into the key fabrication challenges—deep subwavelength etching, high-aspect-ratio structures, and thermal management—that were overcome to realize the integrated device, which achieves record-broadband, coherent comb emission near 9.6 µm with a single narrow beatnote. These results highlight a powerful platform for dispersion-controlled LWIR photonics and chart a path toward octave-spanning, chip-scale combs across the mid- to far-infrared.Tianyi Zeng is a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University’s School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, working with Prof. Kiyoul Yang on integrated nonlinear laser devices. His research focuses on developing high-performance silicon nitride and aluminum oxide nanophotonic platforms for ultrafast and nonlinear photonics, achieving record-low optical losses and broadband gain. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from MIT under Prof. Qing Hu, where he demonstrated ultrabroadband long-wave infrared quantum cascade laser frequency combs with integrated dispersion compensation. Tianyi’s work bridges semiconductor nanofabrication, III-V and solid-state lasers, and nonlinear integrated photonics. He is also co-founding a startup to commercialize an integrated chip-scale optical circuit switch and amplifier—technology aimed at enabling high-speed, energy-efficient AI data-centers.The registration for this event is closed.